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DANISH FAIRY LEGENDS AND TALES 



DANISH FAIRY LEGENDS 
AND TALES 


BY 

HANS CHRISTIAN fNDERSEN 

, v . \ 

TRANSLATED FROM THE DANISH BY 

CAROLINE PEACHEY and DR. H. W. DULCKEN 

. n • , 


WITH BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES AND INTRODUCTION BY 
SARAH C. BROOKS 



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Nefo gorfc 

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., Ltd. 

1905 


All rights reserved 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Copies deceived 


JUN 26 1905 

Gopyrijiiit entry 
&*ne 2-f, /<?e<T 
'CLASS a~ XXC. Noi 
/*2-e i+Ki 
COPY 8. ' 



Copyright, 1905, 

By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. 


Set up and electrotyped. Published June, 1905. 




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CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Biographical Notes vii 

The Story in the Primary School xi 

The Wild Swans 1 

The Ugly Duckling 28 

The Little Mermaid . . . . . . .44 

Little Ida’s Flowers 83 

The Swineherd 95 

Ole Luckoie 103 

The Daisy 121 

Five out of One Shell . . . . v . 128 

The Fir Tree 13 4 

The Snow Queen 149 

Holger the Dane 204 

Tommelise 212 

Great Claus and Little Claus 233 

The Constant Tin Soldier . 252 

The Clogs of Fortune 260 

The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweeper . . 310 

The Tinder Box . . . ■ 319 


v 


VI 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


The Fellow-travellers 

. 

. 



. 333 

The Flying Trunk . 





. 371 

The Bell ^ 





. 382 

The Flax . . . . 





. 392 

The Happy Family 





. 400 

The History of the Year . 





. 407 

Everything in its Place 





. 423 

The Nisse at the Grocer’s . 





. 427 

Notes 







Index to Notes 


451 


BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 


Hans Christian Andersen’s father was a shoe- 
maker, poor, and of limited education, but not with- 
out appreciation of the beauties both of nature and 
of literature. We read of him that he spent his 
leisure hours with his son, either roaming beneath 
the great beeches near Odense, or reading to him. 
The favorite books seemed to be Holbeg's Comedies 
and Arabian Nights. Thus, in the companionship 
of his father, and sharing his elevating recreations, 
the boy’s ideals and tendencies were given incipient 
form and vigor. 

Left fatherlesb at nine, Hans’s mother wished him 
to become a shoemaker, like his father, but the boy 
had other dreams, though vague. He worked in a 
factory awhile, and went to school a short time; 
but neither factory nor school suited the dreamer. 
Sensitive and shy, he shrank from the jests and 
laughter of his companions, provoked by his home- 
liness and awkwardness. His chief delight was in 
a puppet theatre, prepared and directed by himself, 
vii 


BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 


viii 

After saving about nine dollars, he asked permis- 
sion of his mother to go to Copenhagen to seek his 
fortune. The mother, seeking advice of a fortune 
teller, gave him permission at last, and the lad set 
out alone, without adequate means, without friends 
and without preparation, to seek his fortune in an 
unknown city. 

After some grievous experiences he drew the 
attention of Councillor Collen, who, attracted by 
his brightness, persuaded the king to have him edu- 
cated at the expense of the state. 

When about completing his course in the univer- 
sity, he published A Journey on Foot to Amok , which 
was his first successful literary venture. The king 
now gave him money to travel, and he visited Ger- 
many, France, and Italy. In France he wrote some 
poems. In Italy he began The Improvisator e, his great- 
est novel, a picture of manners and scenery in the 
south of Europe. Later were written two other 
novels, Only a Fiddler and 0 . T. ; and betweenwhiles 
his Fairy Tales were written. His other works are 
Wonder Stories, Picture Book without Pictures , and 
The Story of my Life. 

The government granted the author a pension, 
which continued to the close of his life. 

Andersen’s fame rests upon his Fairy Stories , 
which he himself considered among the least impor- 


BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 


IX 


tant of his works. They have been translated into 
all the European languages, and into Chinese, Jap- 
anese, and Hindoostanee. 

To the adult these stories are somewhat dull and 
wearisome, save for such gems as The Ugly Duckling , 
but the adult is not always a good judge of what is 
interesting to children. Even Scott’s Ivanhoe loses 
charm for the grown-up. Andersen’s style leaves 
something to be wished for, and his vocabulary is 
far in advance of the acquirements of children of 
the fairy-story age. While making this criticism 
I am quite aware of the fact that children do not 
always pine for the easy and the simple, and are 
even attracted by a somewhat grandiloquent style ; 
but where the reader must labor over the pronuncia- 
tion and meaning of words, the content is lost and 
interest declines. 

I have selected from the translations of Caroline 
Peachey, published by Bohn & Co., and Dr. Dulcken, 
published by the Globe Company, but largely follow- 
ing the former. Two stories of the type that appeals 
more to adults than to children are among the col- 
lection, namely, Holger the Dane and The Clogs of 
Fortune. This is done for two reasons, first to show 
the contrast in style between these and the stories 
comprising the body of the little volume, and for the 
sake of acquainting children with another character 


xii THE STORY IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL 

the best when it comes to the choice of literature 
for the entertainment and instruction of children. 
For this reason, it may be well to consider first some 
of the most important characteristics of a good story, 
always bearing in mind that the story may be written 
in either poetical or prose form. The Wreck of the 
Hesperus , Hiawatha , The Iliad , and The Odyssey are 
as much stories as are The Merry Adventures of 
Robin Hood or Morte d' Arthur. 

1. The element of simplicity in the sense of straight- 
forwardness is always essential. This applies alike 
to the way in which the story is set forth and to the lan- 
guage in which it is couched. I am well aware that 
children rather like the grandiloquent in style at a 
later age, but am not sure how much of this is due 
to natural tendencies and how much to early strug- 
gles with vocabularies suited to the language at- 
tainments of adults. The Remus stories, the nature 
stories of William J. Long, The Jungle Books , and 
Grimm’s Fairy Tales are both simple and childlike in 
subject-matter and vocabulary, and for this reason 
are perennially interesting. 

On the other hand, many selections of recognized 
merit as to subject-matter, now used in primary 
schools, need to be made over in vocabulary before 
they can be presented to children of six and seven. 
Making over stories is a delicate matter, for often 


THE STORY IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL xiii 

the literary flavor is lost in the change. One must 
be a lover of literature and an adept in the use of 
English to bring about the proper metamorphosis; 
but the task is accomplished daily. 

2. The story should have a moral content, — a 
something over which the child may ponder with 
profit and develop in character with the pondering. 
This requirement does not sanction the story made 
for the sole purpose of impressing lessons, as of po- 
liteness, diligence, obedience, and the like, unless, 
perhaps, the immortal fables of ffEsop, and these 
should be pruned of their mediaeval tails. Nothing 
is so offensive to the intelligence of children, at least 
beyond the age of five, as the tendency of elders to 
expound, or preach, or moralize, as you will. If a 
story is not able to point its own moral, it should be 
left to perish of disuse rather than live to afflict the 
defenceless. 

3. It should furnish ideals of life and conduct in 
the sense that it presents things to be done, rather 
than evils to be avoided. In other words, the story 
should be tonic and positive. I would not be under- 
stood as saying the evil to be avoided should never 
be presented, but that the author should, in dealing 
with it, bear in mind the beauty and the value of 
poetic justice. Evil may be presented in a way to 
entice, as we all know to our shame and sorrow. 


XIV 


THE STORY IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL 


4. The story should be full of fancy of a sweet and 
wholesome kind to correspond with the age and re- 
quirement of the developing child. Of all things, 
literature should give opportunity for the employ- 
ment of the constructive imagination. The reader 
or the listener loses himself in the characters and 
incidents set forth, and self relaxes from the tense 
attitude induced by work. Imagination runs nimbly 
forward to complete the imperfect picture outlined 
in words. The constructive imagination does the 
world’s work, and yet, in a sense, it is but self at 
play. 

5. It should appeal to the feelings and judgment 
of the child, and yet not too strongly. The child’s 
heart is a delicate and sensitive instrument that re- 
sponds to every breath of influence, and because he 
hides his pain from lack of words or from fear of 
misunderstanding, he is too frequently made to suffer 
when the intention is only lightly to impress. A 
child of pioneer parents remembers one winter in 
which she had nothing to read but Pilgrim's Prog- 
ress. The first reading brought her the shock of 
the imprisonment and death of Faithful. This 
shock was avoided in subsequent readings by the 
simple device of turning down leaves to mark the 
passage to be omitted. She could not help knowing 
the story, but she did avoid a reimpression of the 


THE STORY IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL 


XV 


fearsome picture. There was nothing else to read, 
and the story as a whole was sufficiently interesting 
to make up in a measure for the unavoidable distress. 
At the present day the distressing may be replaced 
by something equally good, and at the same time 
cheerful in tone. A bit of literature ought to leave a 
good taste in the mouth. 

6. A bit of humor is not to be despised in a story. 
This is the charm of nonsense rhymes, and of the 
experience of the Ugly Duckling in the peasant’s 
cottage, and like incidents. The danger to be 
^avoided is that of giving undue prominence to the 
funny episode, and thus destroying the balance or 
poise of the parts of the story. 

Having given a few points by which the good story 
may be distinguished, let us now consider the sources 
of supply and the character of stories appropriate to 
the various grades. For help in these directions the 
primary teacher owes much to the American disciples 
of Herbart, and much to students of Froebel. Our 
own experience in the schoolroom but proves the value 
of their teaching. These teachings are based upon 
the culture-epoch theory, and the delight with which 
children of the various grades have hailed the work 
presented in various schools with which I am famil- 
iar is sufficient proof of the value of the theory 
as a working hypothesis. Present suggestions will 


XY1 


THE STORY IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL 


cover only those periods some one has forcefully 
called the “ wonder ” and the “ wander periods.” 

Books of good stories are, through the enterprise of 
modern publishers, now within the means of every 
school library, but the teacher should as far as pos- 
sible be a student of literature and an investigator of 
original sources of supply. ^Esop, Grimm, Andersen, 
Hale’s Bulfinch's Age of Fable , Homer, Anderson’s 
Norse Mythology , The Younger Ed da, Carlyle’s Kings 
of Nor row ay, German, English, French, and American 
history, the Bible ; — these should be familiar to the 
student of children’s literature who would have a 
mine from which to draw. 

Out of all this abundance of material, what shall 
we choose for the children ? 

The finger plays of the kindergarten and the nurs- 
ery rhymes of Mother Goose will form the natural 
connection between home and school. By idealizing 
the home and home relations through the finger 
plays, and in recalling the teaching of the home by 
asking to have the nursery rhymes repeated, the 
school makes a valuable contribution to the laudable 
effort of unifying the work of the two most potent 
factors in the education of the child. 

Fairy stories come next in order and importance 
and popularity ; and though we need to select with 
care from the various sources previously suggested, 


THE STORY IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL XV ii 

because the selections for school use are for specific 
purposes, I am not much in sympathy with the hue 
and cry frequently raised against the fairy story in 
general as harmful in its influence. Adults forget 
that they read into the fairy stories much that is 
totally unknown to the child. Life’s experiences add 
microscopic qualities to vision, while fantasy throws 
a glamour over the eyes of the young. 

Good selections from Andersen are The Ugly Duck- 
ling , Five Peas in One Pod , The Flax Flower , Little 
Ida' s Flowers , The Discontented Apple Branch , The 
Fir Tree , and selections from The Snow Queen. 

How shall the story be presented ? The manner 
of presentation depends somewhat upon circum- 
stances, as the age and previous training of the chil- 
dren, but ordinarily I should say tell the story. The 
book between the reader and listener prevents free 
intercourse. The language of the book is nearly 
always beyond the powers of children, especially in 
rapid reading. In oral presentation, voice is aided 
by facial expression and conscious or unconscious 
gestures. Both teacher and pupils have a more 
lively interest in the subject when presented first- 
hand in simple but forceful English. Tell the 
whole story first, no matter whether it is to form the 
basis of reproduction or simply presented to point 
a moral. 


xviii THE STORY IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL 

Some people are born story-tellers, while others 
acquire the art. All things reasonable are possible 
to those who have average intelligence, whatever 
that may be, if they are thoroughly in earnest and 
will persevere. Teachers have declared themselves 
as unable to teach drawing, music, and industrial 
work, in the order of their appearance ; and yet, to- 
day, in all good schools, the grade teacher handles 
these subjects well. In like manner she can tell 
stories and teach poems effectively. Success is 
reached first by careful study, and then by practice. 
The first thing to seek is the real essence of the story, 
then its introduction, its several acts and scenes, and 
lastly the climax. How are these embellished ? 
What must be preserved of the author’s manner of 
handling these various divisions in order to keep the 
story intact ? These questions can be answered only 
by reading and re-reading the selection in question. 
W rite an outline, in as brief a manner as possible, as 
Introduction $ Act I, Scenes 1 and 2 ; Act II, Scenes 
1, 2, and 3, etc., giving the headings of these acts 
and scenes. Now try to tell the story, and note mis- 
takes. Repeated efforts cannot fail to bring success, 
and confidence grows with accomplishment. The 
last chapter of De Garmo’s Essentials of Method will 
prove helpful to the beginner. 

The teller of stories should be a lover and a faith- 


THE STORY IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL 


XIX 


ful student of literature. This is the first and high- 
est essential. By the study of the various styles of 
favorite authors her own style and vocabulary will 
improve, and her critical powers will become sharp- 
ened. She will learn that a simple forceful sentence 
is of more value than all the adjectives, adverbs, and 
expletives of a girl’s vocabulary ; and she will see 
that subject-matter is of paramount importance. 
People listen when the speaker has something to 
say. 

The story-teller must know children and be in 
sympathy with their needs and interests at any given 
period. 

She should have a bit of humor somewhere in her 
make-up, for the love of 'fun is a saving grace. It 
is also necessary that she be able to distinguish be- 
tween the child’s and the adult’s standards of wit. 

She should be able to draw a little. Children are 
gentle critics, and appreciate the crudest efforts. 
Their nimble imaginations complete the picture how 
bare soever the framework may be ; and a graphic 
presentation will explain many phrases and sentences 
that might otherwise be but imperfectly compre- 
hended. 

Miss Elizabeth Harrison says the story-teller should 
possess enough dramatic fire to burn up self-con- 
sciousness. I am inclined to think this forgetfulness 


XX 


THE STORY IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL 


of self, or absorption in the subject, may be brought 
about by careful study of the story and by practice 
in telling stories. Dramatic fire is a necessary quali- 
fication, but the student must not be misled by the 
term. Nothing in this world takes the place of study 
and of practice. 

Stop when the story is ended. This is the final 
requirement, and may seem superfluous ; but some 
authors have not learned this art. After arriving at 
the climax, they heed not the law of balance, but 
continue to pile on anti-climaxes until the whole 
story is marred by the unsightly bob in a kite- tail. 
One of the most familiar of children’s stories is thus 
overloaded ; namely, Andersen’s Fir Tree. The real 
climax comes when the children dance around the 
tree on Christmas eve ; but the author adds a number 
of unimportant incidents before bringing the story 
to a close. 

The story may be reproduced by children in three 
or four ways, according to their age and power of 
expression. Dramatic representation is a most im- 
portant way because of its aid to the constructive 
imagination. It is the natural request of little chil- 
dren to be permitted to play a story or an interesting 
incident. A child of four with a healthy nervous 
organism, upon facing a new situation, or hearing a 
rhyme or a story, usually cries, “ Let’s play that ! ” 


THE STORY IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL 


XXI 




The pity of it is that we early succeed in starving this 
dramatic instinct into silence. 

If a story is to be played, have the children sug- 
gest the dramatic situations. Otherwise they lose 
the greatest benefit. 

Encourage the dramatic instinct in children. Its 
future value in helping to interpret the printed page, 
to interpret the acts and the feelings of others, to 
supplement data in classifying and reasoning, is meas- 
ureless. The matter has been too long neglected as 
a means of education, and is only now beginning to 
be valued at something like its true worth. The 
play of the imagination paints pictures, chisels stat- 
ues, builds temples and bridges, writes epics and 
dramas, ameliorates the conditions surrounding the 
helpless and the destitute, makes it possible for man 
to be a humane and considerate member of society. 
In fact, its price is above rubies, yet it is a common 
possession. 

The second means of representation is through the 
instrumentality of drawing materials, — pencil, brush, 
crayon, scissors, paper, and paste. 

Clay will also be found serviceable in this work. 

The highest and most difficult form of expression 
is language, which, in the order of difficulty, may be 
written or oral. The story time, in order to be pf 
most service, should be free from corrections. The 


xxii THE STORY IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL 

thought must be upon the story, rather than the 
manner in which it is related. There are other 
hours for corrections and suggestions. 

For help in reproduction, teachers are referred 
to De Garmo’s Essentials of Method , the last chap- 
ter. The following suggestions are based upon the 
method there presented. 

Suppose the story is to be The Ugly Duckling. 
This is read several times carefully, and mental 
notes made of the divisions or “acts.” Then, with 
book closed, these acts are named and written in a 
note-book, with space between for suggestions under 
each. These will appear as “ The Hatching,” “ The 
First Swim,” “ Visit to the Farmyard,” “ The Flight,” 
“ Autumn,” “ Winter,” “ Spring.” 

Now try to tell the story without further reading. 
Correct errors or omissions by fresh readings. 
Make notes of scenes under the different acts. Tell 
the whole story again. By this time one ought to 
be equipped for the class presentation, and therefore 
confident. 

Tell the story as a whole,' as previously suggested, 
for the sake of the children’s interest in the story. 
This request is open to criticism, but much expe- 
rience with little children confirms the writer in this 
opinion. At the next literature period, tell it in 
sections ; at the close of each section, call for some 


THE STORY IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL xxiii 

one to re-tell ; as, “ Tell me what I have just told 
you,” “Tell about the swimming lesson,” “the 
visit to the farm-yard,” and so on. 

The story is long, and this second process may 
occupy a couple of days, the recitation period be- 
ing from fifteen to twenty minutes in length. In 
the meantime the story may be dramatized and 
illustrated. 

When all the sections have been given, have some 
child tell the whole story. Early in the year, this 
may well be done by the pupil who has most lan- 
guage and dramatic power, but later any pupil must 
feel that he may be honored by a request for the 
recital. Much can be accomplished if the children 
feel that what they attempt is for the pleasure of the 
whole class. 

Written narration follows naturally upon the heels 
of the oral work when the intricacies of written form 
and of spelling are mastered to a degree. Children 
of the third grade and higher may be asked to write 
certain parts of the story. Sometimes it is interest- 
ing to the pupils if the class is divided into as many 
sections as there are divisions of the story, and a 
section given to each division to reproduce. When 
the work is completed, a representative of each divi- 
sion, in order, may read his paper, and thus the 
whole story is presented. 


XXIV 


THE STORY IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL 


Again the whole class may work upon one divi- 
sion, as “ Spring,” in The Ugly Duckling. And yet 
again, the pupils may be permitted to write about 
that portion of the story in which they are most 
interested. This gives to pupils the pleasure of 
individual selection, and at the same time affords 
the teacher an opportunity to see what kind of an 
impression the story has made upon each child. 

One of the final results in written language which 
should accrue from these early, oral, and written 
exercises is a correct idea of the ordinary paragraph ; 
and nothing would defeat this more effectually than 
to leave the class to flounder about in a slough of 
uncertainty which cannot fail to engulf them when 
they are requested to write about The Ugly Duckling 
and other selections of equal length and complexity. 
Besides, the sustained effort wearies and thus helps 
to defeat the highest purpose we have in placing 
literature in the primary school. We should create 
a hunger for the best that genius has to offer. 

SARAH C. BROOKS. 

Baltimore, Maryland, 

June 1, 1905. 


DANISH FAIRY LEGENDS AND TALES 



































































































it' 









































































ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


THE WILD SWANS 

Far hence, in a country whither the swallows fly 
in our winter-time, there dwelt a King who had 
eleven sons, and one daughter, the beautiful Elise.° 
The eleven brothers — they were princes — went to 
school with stars on their breasts and swords by 
their sides; they wrote on golden tablets with dia- 
mond pens, and could read either with a book or 
without one; in short, it was easy to perceive that 
they were princes. Their sister, Elise, used to sit 
upon a little glass stool, and had a picture book 
which had cost the half of a kingdom. Oh ! the 
children were so happy ! but happy they could not 
be always. 

Their father, the King, married a very wicked 
Queen, who was not at all kind to the poor chil- 
dren ; they found this out on the first day after the 
marriage, when there was a grand gala at the palace ; 
for when the children played at receiving company, 

B 1 


2 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


instead of having as many cakes and sweetmeats as 
they liked, the Queen gave them only some sand in 
a little dish, and told them to imagine that was 
something nice. 

The week after, she sent little Elise to be brought 
up by some peasants in the country, and it was not 
long before she told the King so many falsehoods 
about the poor Princes that he would have nothing 
more to do with them. “ Away, out into the world, 
and take care of yourselves,” said the wicked Queen ; 
“fly away in the form of .great speechless birds.” 
But she could not make their transformation so dis- 
agreeable as she wished; the Princes were changed 
into eleven white Swans. Sending forth a strange 
cry, they flew out of the palace windows, over the 
park and over the wood. 

It was still early in the morning when they passed 
by the place where Elise lay sleeping in the peas- 
ants’ cottage. They flew several times round the 
roof, stretched their long necks, and flapped their 
wings, but no one either heard or saw them ; they 
were forced to fly away, up to the clouds and into 
the wide world ; so on they went to the wide, dark 
forest which extended as far as the sea-shore. 

The poor little Elise stood in the peasants’ cottage 
amusing herself with a green leaf, for she had no 
other plaything. She pricked a hole in the leaf and 


THE WILD SWANS 


3 


peeped through it at the sun, and then she fancied 
she saw her brothers’ bright eyes; and whenever 
the warm sunbeams shone full upon her cheeks, she 
thought of her brothers’ kisses. 

One day passed exactly like the other. When the 
wind blew through the thick hedge of rose trees in 
front of the house, she would whisper to the Roses, 
“ Who is more beautiful than you ? ” but the Roses 
would shake their heads, and say, “Elise,” And 
when the peasant’s wife sat on Sundays at the door, 
of her cottage reading her hymn book, the Wind 
would rustle in the leaves and say to the book, 
“ Who is more pious than thou?” “Elise,” replied 
the Hymn Book. And what the Roses and the 
Hymn Book said was no more than the truth. 

Elise was now fifteen years old, and she was sent 
for home ; but when the Queen saw how beautiful 
she was, she hated her the more, and would willingly 
have transformed her, like her brothers, into a wild 
swan, but she dared not do so, because the King 
wished to see his daughter. 

So the next morning the Queen went into a bath 
made of marble, and fitted up with soft pillows and 
the gayest carpets ; she took three toads, kissed 
them, and said to one, “ Settle thou upon Elise’s 
head, that she may become dull and sleepy like thee.” 
“ Settle thou upon her forehead,” said she to an- 


4 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


other, “ and let her become ugly like thee, so that her 
father may not know her again.” And “ Do thou 
place thyself upon her bosom,” whispered she to the 
third, 44 that her heart may become corrupt and evil, 
a torment to herself.” She then put the toads into 
the clear water, which was immediately tinted with 
a green colour, and having called Elise, took off her 
clothes and made her get into the bath. And one 
toad settled among her hair, another on her forehead, 
and a third upon her bosom ; but Elise seemed not at 
all aware of it ; she rose up, and three poppies were 
seen swimming on the water. Had not the animals 
been poisonous and kissed by a witch, they would 
have been changed into roses whilst they rested on 
Elise’s head and heart, — she was too good for magic 
to have any power over heh When the Queen per- 
ceived this, she rubbed walnut juice all over the 
maiden’s skin, so that it became quite swarthy, 
smeared a nasty salve over her lovely face, and en- 
tangled her long thick hair : it was impossible to 
recognise the beautiful Elise after this. 

So when her father saw her he was shocked, and 
said she could not be his daughter. No one would 
have anything to do with her but the mastiff and the 
swallows ; but they, poor things, could not say any- 
thing in her favour. 

Poor Elise wept, and thought of her eleven 


THE WILD SWANS 


5 


brothers, not one of whom she saw at the palace. 
In great distress, she stole away and wandered the 
whole day over fields and moors, till she reached the 
forest. She knew not where to go, but she was so 
sad, and longed so much to see her brothers, who had 
been driven out into the world, that she determined 
to seek and find them. 

She had not been long in the forest when night 
came on, and she lost her way amid the darkness. 
So she lay down on the soft moss, said her evening 
prayer, and leaned her head against the trunk of a 
tree. It was very still in the forest, the air was 
mild, and from the grass and mould around gleamed 
the green light of many hundred glow-worms, and 
when Elise lightly touched one of the branches 
hanging over her, bright insects fell down upon her 
like falling stars. 

All the night long she dreamed of her brothers. 
They were all children again, played together, wrote 
with diamond pens upon golden tablets, and looked 
at the pictures in the beautiful book which had cost 
half of a kingdom. But they did not, as formerly, 
make straight strokes and pothooks upon the tab- 
lets, — no, they wrote of the bold actions they had 
performed, and the strange adventures they had en- 
countered, and in the picture book everything seemed 
alive. The birds sang, men and women stepped 


6 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


from the book and talked to Elise and her brothers : 
however, when she turned over the leaves, they 
jumped back into their places, so that the pictures 
did not get confused together. 

When Elise awoke the sun was already high in 
the heavens. She could not see it certainly, for the 
tall trees of the forest closely entwined their thickly 
leaved branches, which, as the sunbeams played 
upon them, looked like a golden veil waving to and 
fro. And the air was so fragrant, and the birds 
perched upon Elise’s shoulders. She heard the noise 
of water, there were several springs forming a pool 
with the prettiest pebbles at the bottom, bushes were 
growing thickly round, but the deer had trodden a 
broad path through them, and by this path Elise 
went down to the water’s edge. The water was so 
clear that, had not the boughs and bushes around 
been moved to and fro by the wind, you might have 
fancied they were painted upon the smooth surface, 
so distinctly was each little leaf mirrored upon it, 
whether glowing in the sunlight or lying in the 
shade. 

As soon as Elise saw her face reflected in the 
water she was quite startled, so brown and ugly did 
it look : however, when she had wetted her little 
hand and rubbed her brow and eyes, the white skin 
again appeared. So Elise took off her clothes, 


THE WILD SWANS 


7 


stepped into the fresh water, and in the whole world 
there was not a king’s daughter more beautiful than 
she then appeared. 

After she had again dressed herself, and had 
braided her long hair, she went to the bubbling 
spring, drank out of the hollow of her hand, and 
then wandered farther into the forest. She knew 
not where she was going, but she thought of her 
brothers, and of the good God, who, she felt, would 
never forsake her. He it was who made the wild 
crab trees grow in order to feed the hungry, and who 
showed her a tree whose boughs bent under the 
weight of their fruit. She made her noonday meal un- 
der its shade, propped up the boughs, and then walked 
on amid the dark twilight of the forest. It was so 
still that she could hear her own footsteps, and the 
rustling of each little withered leaf that was crushed 
beneath her feet ; not a bird was to be seen, not a 
single sunbeam penetrated through the thick foliage, 
and the tall stems of the trees stood so close to- 
gether, that when she looked straight before her, 
she seemed enclosed by trellis work upon trellis 
work. Oh ! there was a solitariness in this forest 
such as Elise had never known before. 

And the night was so dark ! not a single glow- 
worm sent forth its light. Sad and melancholy, 
she lay down to sleep, and then it seemed to her as 


8 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


though the boughs above her opened, and that she 
saw the Angel of God looking down upon her with 
gentle aspect, and a thousand little cherubs all 
around him. When she awoke in the morning she 
could not tell whether this was a dream, or whether 
she had really been so watched. 

She walked on a little farther and met an old 
woman with a basketful of berries ; the old woman 
gave her some of them, and Elise asked if she had 
not seen eleven Princes ride through the wood. 

“No,” said the old woman, “but I saw yesterday 
eleven Swans with golden crowns on their heads 
swim down the brook near this place.” 

And she led Elise on a little farther to a precipice, 
the base of which was washed by a brook ; the trees 
on each side stretched their long leafy branches 
towards each other, and where they could not unite, 
the roots had disengaged themselves from the earth 
and hung their interlaced fibres over the water. 

Elise bade the old woman farewell, and wandered 
by the side of the stream till she came to the place 
where it reached the open sea. 

The great, the beautiful sea lay extended before 
the maiden’s eyes, but not a ship, not a boat, was to 
be seen ; how was she to go on? She observed 
the numberless little stones on the shore, all of 
which the waves had washed into a round form ; 


THE WILD SWANS 


9 


glass, iron, stone, everything that lay scattered 
there, had been moulded into shape, and yet the 
water which had effected this was much softer than 
Elise’s delicate little hand. “ It rolls on unwea- 
riedly,” said she, “and subdues what is so hard : I 
will be no less unwearied ! Thank you for the 
lesson you have given me, ye bright rolling waves ! 
some day, my heart tells me, you shall carry me to 
my dear brothers ! ” 

There lay upon the wet seaweed eleven white 
swan-feathers ; Elise collected them together ; drops 
of water hung about them, whether dew or tears she 
could not tell. She was quite alone on the sea-shore, 
but she did not care for that ; the sea presented an 
eternal variety to her — more, indeed, in a few hours 
.than the gentle inland waters would have offered in 
a whole year. When a black cloud passed over the 
sky, it seemed as if the sea would say, “ I, too, can 
look dark : ” and then the wind would blow and the 
waves fling out their white foam ; but when the 
clouds shone with a bright red tint, and the winds 
were asleep, the sea also became like a rose-leaf in 
hue. It was now green, now white, but it ever re- 
posed peacefully ; sometimes a light breeze would be 
astir on* the shore, causing the water to heave gently, 
like the bosom of a sleeping child. 

At sunset Elise saw eleven Wild Swans with 


10 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


golden crowns on their heads fly towards the land ; 
they flew one behind another, looking like a stream- 
ing white riband. Elise climbed the precipice, and 
concealed herself behind a bnsh : the Swans settled 
close to her, and flapped their long white wings. 

As the sun sank beneath the water, the Swans also 
vanished, and in their place stood eleven handsome 
Princes, the brothers of Elise. She uttered a loud 
cry, for although they were very much altered, Elise 
knew that they were, felt that they must be, her 
brothers ; she ran into their arms, called them by 
their names — and how happy were they to see and 
recognise their sister, now grown so tall and so 
beautiful 1 They laughed and wept, and soon told 
each other how wickedly their stepmother had acted 
towards them. 

u We,” said the eldest of the brothers, “ fly or swim 
as long as the sun is above the horizon, but when it 
sinks below, we appear again in our human form ; 
we are therefore obliged to look out for a safe resting 
place, for if, at sunset, we were flying among the 
clouds, we should fall down as soon as we resumed 
our own form. We do not dwell here ; a land quite 
as beautiful as this lies on the opposite side of the 
sea, but it is far off. To reach it, we have to cross 
the deep waters, and there is no island midway on 
which we may rest at night; one little solitary rock 


THE WILD SWANS 


11 


rises from the waves, and upon it we only just find 
room enough to stand side by side. There we spend 
the night in our human form, and when the sea is 
rough, we are sprinkled by its foam; but we are 
thankful for this resting place, for without it we 
should never be able to visit our dear native country. 
Only once in the year is this visit to the home of 
our fathers permitted ; we require two of the longest 
days for our flight, and can remain here only eleven 
days, during which time we fly over the large forest, 
whence we can see the palace in which we were born, 
where our father dwells, and the tower of the church 
in which our mother was buried. Here, even the 
trees and bushes seem of kin to us; here the wild 
horses still race over the plains, as in the days of our 
childhood ; here the charcoal-burner still sings the 
same old tunes to which we used to dance in our 
youth ; hither we are still attracted ; and here we 
have found thee, thou dear little sister! We have 
yet two days longer to stay here, then we must fly 
over the sea to a land beautiful indeed, but not our 
fatherland. How shall we take thee with us? we 
have neither ship nor boat ! ” 

“How shall I be able to release you?” said the 
sister. And so they went on talking almost the 
whole of the night. They slumbered only a few 
hours. 


12 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


Elise was awakened by the rustling of swans’ wings, 
which were fluttering above her. Her brothers were 
again transformed, and for some time flew round in 
large circles ; at last they flew far, far away. Only 
one of them remained behind — it was the youngest ; 
he laid his head in her lap, and she stroked his 
white wings. They remained the whole day to- 
gether. Towards evening the others came back, 
and when the sun was set, again they stood on the 
firm ground in their natural form. 

“ To-morrow we shall fly away, and may not return 
for a year, but we cannot leave thee. Hast thou 
courage to accompany us? My arm is strong enough 
to bear thee through the forest. Shall we not have 
sufficient strength in our wings to transport thee 
over the sea?” 

“ Yes, take me with you,” said Elise. They spent 
the whole night in weaving a mat of the pliant wil - 
low bark and the tough rushes, and their mat \va . 
thick and strong. Elise lay down upon it; and 
when the sun had risen, and the brothers were again 
transformed into Wild Swans, they seized the mat 
with their beaks, and flew up high among the clouds 
with their dear sister, who was still sleeping. The 
sunbeams shone full upon her face, so one of the 
Swans flew over her head, and shaded her with his 
broad wings. 


THE WILD SWANS 


13 


They were already far from land when Elise 
awoke. She thought she was still dreaming, so 
strange did it appear to her to be travelling through 
the air, and over the sea. By her side lay a cluster 
of pretty berries, and a handful of savoury roots. 
Her youngest brother had collected and laid them 
there; and she thanked him with a smile, for she 
knew him as the Swan who flew overhead and shaded 
her with his wings. 

They flew so high, that the first ship they saw 
beneath them seemed like a white sea gull skimming 
over the water. Elise saw behind her a large cloud ; 
it looked like a mountain; and on it she saw the 
gigantic shadows of herself and the eleven Swans. 
It formed a picture more splendid than any she had 
ever yet seen. Soon, however, the sun rose higher, 
the cloud remained far behind, and then the floating, 
shadowy picture disappeared. 

The whole day they continued flying with a whiz- 
zing noise somewhat like an arrow, but yet they 
went slower than usual — they had their sister to 
carry. A heavy tempest was gathering — the even- 
ing approached ; anxiously did Elise watch the sun 
— it was setting ; still the solitary rock could not be 
seen. It appeared to her that the Swans plied their 
wings with increasing vigour. Alas ! it would be 
her fault if her brothers did not arrive at the place 


14 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


in time ! they would become human beings when the 
sun set ; and if this happened before they reached 
the rock, they must fall into the sea and be drowned. 
She prayed to God most fervently — still no rock 
was to be seen ; the black clouds drew nearer — vio- 
lent gusts of wind announced the approach of a 
tempest — the clouds rested perpendicularly upon a 
fearfully large wave which rolled quickly forwards — 
one flash of lightning rapidly succeeded another. 

The sun was now on the rim of the sea. Elise’s 
heart beat violently ; the Swans shot downwards so 
swiftly that she thought she must fall, but again they 
began to hover ; the sun was half sunk beneath the 
water, and at that moment she saw the little rock 
below her. It looked like a seal’s head when he 
raises it just above the water. And the sun was 
sinking fast — it seemed scarcely larger than a star ; 
her foot touched the hard ground, and it vanished 
altogether, like the last spark on a burnt piece of 
paper. Arm in arm stood her brothers around her; 
there was only just room for her and them. The 
sea beat tempestuously against the rock, flinging 
over them a shower of foam. The sky seemed in a 
continual blaze with the fast-succeeding flashes of 
fire that lightened it, and peal after peal rolled on 
the thunder ; but sister and brothers kept firm hold of 
each other’s hands. They sang a psalm, and their 
psalm gave them comfort and courage. 


THE WILD SWANS 


15 


By daybreak the air was pure and still, and as 
soon as the sun rose, the Swans flew away with Elise 
from the rock. The waves rose higher and higher, 
and when they looked from the clouds down upon 
the blackish green sea, covered as it was with white 
foam, they might have fancied that millions of swans 
were swimming on its surface. 

As day advanced, Elise saw floating in the air 
before her a land of mountains intermixed with 
glaciers, and in the centre a palace a mile in length, 
with splendid colonnades rising one above another, 
palm trees and gorgeous-looking flowers as large as 
millwheels growing beneath. She asked if this were 
the country to which they were flying, but the Swans 
shook their heads, for what she saw was the beautiful 
airy castle of the fairy Morgana , 0 where no human 
being was admitted : and whilst Elise still bent her 
eyes upon it, mountains, trees, and castle all dis- 
appeared, and in their place stood twelve churches 
with high towers and pointed windows. She fancied 
she heard the organ play, but it was only the murmur 
of the sea. She was now close to these churches, but 
behold ! they had changed into a large fleet sailing 
under them. She looked down, and saw it was only 
a sea mist passing rapidly over the water. An eter- 
nal variety floated before her eyes, till at last the 
actual land whither she was bound appeared in sight. 


16 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


Beautiful blue mountains, cedar woods, towns, and 
castles rose to view. Long before sunset Elise sat 
down among the mountains, in front of a large 
cavern ; delicate young creepers grew around so 
thickly, that it appeared covered with gay embroid- 
ered carpets. 

“ Now we shall see what thou wilt dream of 
to-night ! ” said her youngest brother, as he showed 
her the sleeping chamber destined for her. 

“ Oh, that I could dream how you might be released 
from the spell ! ” said she ; and this thought com- 
pletely occupied her. She prayed most earnestly for 
God’s assistance ; nay, even in her dreams, she con- 
tinued praying ; and it appeared to her that she was 
flying up high in the air towards the castle of the 
fairy Morgana. The fairy came forward to meet her, 
radiant and beautiful, and yet she fancied she resem- 
bled the old woman who had given her berries in the 
forest, and told her of the Swans with golden crowns. 

“ Thou canst release thy brothers,” said she, “ but 
hast thou courage ahd patience sufficient? The 
water is indeed softer than thy delicate hands, and 
yet can mould the hard stones to its will, but then 
it cannot feel the pain which thy tender fingers will 
feel ; it has no heart, and cannot suffer the anxiety 
and grief which thou must suffer. Dost thou see 
these stinging nettles which I have in my hand? 


THE WILD SWANS 


IT 


there are many of the same kind growing round the 
cave where thou art sleeping ; only those that grow 
there or on the graves in the churchyard are of use 
— remember that ! Thou must pluck them, although 
they will sting thy hand ; thou must trample on the 
nettles with thy feet, and get yarn from them ; and 
with this yarn thou must weave eleven shirts with 
long sleeves ; throw them over the eleven Wild Swans, 
and the spell is broken. But, mark this ! from tl\e 
moment that thou beginnest thy work till it is com- 
pleted, even should it occupy thee for years, thou 
must not speak a word. The first syllable that 
escapes thy lips will fall like a dagger into the hearts 
of thy brothers ; on thy tongue depends their life. 
Mark well all this ! ” 

And at the same moment the fairy touched Elise’s 
hands with a nettle, which made them burn like fire, 
and Elise awoke. It was broad daylight, and close 
to her lay a nettle like the one she had seen in her 
dream. She fell upon her knees, thanked God, and 
then went out of the cave in order to begin her 
work. She plucked with her own delicate hands 
the disagreeable stinging nettles : they burned large 
blisters on her hands and arms, but she bore the pain 
willingly in the hope of releasing her dear brothers. 
She trampled on the nettles with her naked feet, and 
spun the green yarn. 


18 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


At sunset came her brothers. Elise’s silence quite 
frightened them ; they thought it must be the effect 
of some fresh spell of their wicked stepmother ; but 
when they saw her blistered hands, they found out 
what their sister was doing for their sakes. The 
youngest brother wept, and when his tears fell upon 
her hands, Elise felt no more pain — the blisters 
disappeared. 

The whole night she spent in her work, for she 
could not rest till she had released her brothers. All 
the following day she sat in her solitude, for the 
Swans had flown away ; but never had time passed 
so quickly. One shirt was ready ; she now began 
the second. 

Suddenly a hunting-horn resounded among the 
mountains. Elise was frightened. The noise came 
nearer; she heard the hounds barking. In great 
terror, she fled into the cave, bound up the nettles 
which she had gathered and combed into a bundle, 
and sat down upon it. 

In the same moment a large dog sprang out from 
the bushes ; two others immediately followed they 
barked loudly, ran awa y, and then returned. It was 
not long before the hunters stood in front of the 
cave ; the handsomest among them was the King of 
that country ; he stepped up to Elise. Never had he 
seen a lovelier maiden. 


THE WILD SWANS 


19 


“ How earnest thou here, thou beautiful child?” 
said he. Elise shook her head ; she dared not speak ; 
a word might have cost her the life of her brothers, 
and she hid her hands under her apron lest the King 
should see how she was suffering. 

44 Come with me,” said he, 44 thou must not stay 
here ! If thou art good as thou art bea-utiful, I will 
dress thee in velvet and silk ; I will put a gold crown 
upon thy head, and thou shalt dwell in my palace ! ” 
So he lifted her upon his horse, while she wept and 
wrung her hands ; but the King said, 44 1 only desire 
thy happiness ! thou shalt thank me for this some 
day ! ” and away he rode over mountains and valleys, 
holding her on his horse in front, whilst the other 
hunters followed. When the sun set, the King’s 
magnificent capital, with its churches and cupolas, 
lay before them, and the King led Elise into the 
palace, where, in a high marble hall, fountains were 
playing, and the walls and ceiling displayed the most 
beautiful paintings. But Elise cared not for all this 
splendour ; she wept and mourned in silence, even 
whilst some female attendants dressed her in royal 
robes, wove costly pearls in her hair, and drew soft 
gloves over her blistered hands. 

And now she was full dressed, and as she stood in 
her splendid attire, her beauty was so dazzling that 
the courtiers all bowed low before her, and the King 


20 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


chose her for his bride, although the Archbishop 
shook his head, and whispered that “the beautiful 
lady of the wood must certainly be a witch, who had 
blinded their eyes, and infatuated the King’s heart.” 

But the King did not listen ; he ordered music to 
be played, and a sumptuous banquet served up. The 
loveliest maidens danced round the bride, and she was 
led through fragrant gardens into magnificent halls, 
but not a smile was seen to play upon her lips or beam 
from her eyes. The King then opened a small room 
next her sleeping apartment ; it was adorned with 
costly green tapestry, and exactly resembled the cave 
in which she had been found : upon the ground lay 
the bundle of yarn which she had spun from the net- 
tles, and by the wall hung the shirt she had com- 
pleted. One of the hunters had brought all this, 
thinking there must be something wonderful in it. 

“Here thou mayest dream of thy former home,” 
said the King ; “ Here is the work which employed 
thee : amidst all thy present splendour it may some- 
times give thee pleasure to fancy thyself there again.” 

When Elise saw what was so dear to her heart, she 
smiled, and the blood returned to her cheeks. She 
thought her brothers might still be released, and she 
kissed the King’s hand. He pressed her to his heart, 
and ordered the bells of all the churches in the city to 
be rung, to announce the celebration of their wedding. 


THE WILD SWANS 


21 


The beautiful dumb maiden of the wood was to be- 
come Queen of the land. 

The Archbishop whispered evil words in the King’s 
ear, but they made no impression upon him ; the mar- 
riage was solemnised, and the Archbishop himself was 
obliged to put the crown upon her head. In his rage 
he pressed the narrow rim so firmly on her forehead 
that it hurt her ; but a heavier weight — sorrow for 
her brothers — lay upon her heart: she did not feel 
bodily pain. ‘ She was still silent — a single word 
would have killed her brothers ; her eyes, however, 
beamed with heartfelt love to the King, so good and 
handsome, who had done so much to make her happy. 
She became more warmly attached to him every day. 
Oh ! how much she wished she might confide to him 
all her sorrows ! but she was forced to remain silent ; 
she could not speak until her work was completed ! 
To this end she stole away every night, and went 
into the little room that was fitted up in imitation of 
the cave ; there she worked at her shirts, but by the 
time she had begun the seventh all her yarn was 
spent. 

She knew that the nettles she needed grew in the 
churchyard, but she must gather them herself : how 
was she to get them ? 

“ Oh,* what is the pain in my fingers compared 
to the anguish my heart suffers ! ” thought she. “ I 


22 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


must venture to the churchyard ; the good God will 
not withdraw His protection from me ! ” 

Fearful, as though she were about to do. something 
wrong, one moonlight night she crept down to the 
garden, and through the long avenues got into the 
lonely road leading to the churchyard. She saw sit- 
ting on one of the broadest tombstones a number of 
ugly old witches. Elise was obliged to pass close by 
them, and the witches fixed their wicked eyes upon 
her ; but she repeated her prayer, gathered the sting- 
ing nettles, and took them back with her into the pal- 
ace. One person only had seen her — it was the 
Archbishop ; he was awake when others slept. Now 
he was convinced that all was not right about the 
Queen. She must be a witch, who had through her 
enchantments infatuated the King and all the people. 

In the confessional he told the King what he had 
seen and what he feared ; and when the slanderous 
words came from his lips, the sculptured images of 
the saints shook their heads, as though they would 
say, “ It is untrue ; Elise is innocent ! ” But the 
Archbishop explained the omen quite otherwise ; he 
thought it was a testimony against her that the holy 
images shook their heads at hearing of her sin. 

Two large tears rolled down the King’s cheeks; 
he returned home in doubt. He pretended to sleep 
at night, though sleep never visited him ; and he 


THE WILD SWANS 


23 


noticed that Elise rose from her bed every night, 
and every time he followed her secretly and saw her 
enter her little room. 

His countenance became darker every day ; Elise 
perceived it, though she knew not the cause. She 
was much pained, and, besides, what did she not staf- 
fer in her heart for her brothers ! Her bitter tears 
ran down on the royal velvet and purple ; they looked 
like bright diamonds, and all who saw the magnifi- 
cence that surrounded her wished themselves in her 
place. She had now nearly finished her work — only 
one shirt was wanting ; unfortunately, yarn was want- 
ing also — she had not a single nettle left. Once 
more, only this one time, she must go to the church- 
yard and gather a few handfuls. She shuddered when 
she thought of the solitary walk and the horrid 
witches, but her resolution was as firm as her trust 
in God. 

Elise went ; the King and the Archbishop followed 
her. They saw her disappear at the churchyard door, 
and when they came nearer, they saw the witches sit- 
ting on the tombstones, as Elise had seen them, and 
the King turned away, for he believed her whose 
head had rested on his bosom that very evening to 
be amongst them. “ Let the people judge her ! ” said 
he. And the people condemned her to be burnt. 

She was now dragged from the King’s sumptuous 


24 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


apartments into a dark, damp prison, where the wind 
whistled through the grated window. Instead of vel- 
vet and silk, they gave her the bundle of nettles she 
had gathered — on that must she lay her head ; the 
shirts she had woven must serve her as mattress and 
counterpane ; but they could not have given her any- 
thing she valued so much : and she continued her 
work, at the same time praying earnestly to her God. 
The boys sang scandalous songs about her in front of 
her prison ; not a soul comforted her with one word 
of love. 

Towards evening she heard the rustling of Swans’ 
wings at the grating. It was the youngest of her 
brothers, who had at last found his sister, and she 
sobbed aloud for joy, although she knew that the 
coming night would probably be the last of her 
life ; but then her work was almost finished, and 
her brother was near. 

The Archbishop came in order to spend the last 
hour with her. He had promised the King he would; 
but she shook her head and entreated him with her 
eyes and gestures to go. This night she must finish 
her work, or all she had suffered — her pain, her 
anxiety, her sleepless nights — would be in vain. 
The Archbishop went away with many angry words, 
but the unfortunate Elise knew herself to be per- 
fectly innocent, and went on with her work. 


THE WILD SWANS 


25 


Little mice ran busily about and dragged the 
nettles to her feet, wishing to help her ; and the 
thrush perched on the iron bars of the window, and 
sang all night as merrily as he could, that Elise 
might not lose courage. 

It was still twilight, just an hour before sunrise, 
when the eleven brothers stood before the palace- 
gates, requesting an audience with the King ; but it 
could not be, they were told : it was still night, the 
King was asleep, and they dared not wake him. 
They entreated, they threatened, the guard came up, 
the King himself at last stepped out to ask what 
was the matter : at that moment the sun rose, the 
brothers could be seen no longer, and eleven white 
Swans flew away over the palace. 

The people poured forth from the gates of the 
city, all eager to see the witch burnt. One wretched 
horse drew the cart in which Elise was placed, a 
coarse frock of sackcloth had been put on her, her 
beautiful long hair hung loosely over her shoulders, 
her cheeks were of a deadly paleness, her lips moved 
gently, and her fingers wove the green yarn : even 
on her way to her cruel death she did not give up 
her work ; the ten shirts lay at her feet — she was 
now labouring to complete the eleventh. The rabble 
insulted her. 

“ Look at the witch, how she mutters ! she has 


26 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


not a hymn book in her hand : no, there she sits, 
with her accursed witchery. Tear it from her ! tear 
it into a thousand pieces ! ” 

And they all crowded about her, and were on the 
point of snatching away the shirts, when eleven 
white Swans came flying towards the cart. They 
settled all round her, and flapped their wings. The 
crowd gave way in terror. 

“ It is a sign from Heaven ! she is certainly inno- 
cent ! ” whispered some ; they dared not say so 
aloud. 

The sheriff now seized her by the hand — in a 
moment she threw the eleven shirts over the Swans, 
and eleven handsome Princes appeared in their place. 
The youngest had, however, only one arm, and a 
wing instead of the other, for one sleeve was defi-. 
cient in his shirt — it had not been quite finished. 
“Now I may speak,” said she : “ I am innocent ! ” 
And the people who had seen what had happened 
bowed before her as before a saint. She, however, 
sank lifeless in her brothers’ arms ; suspense, fear, 
and grief had quite exhausted her. 

“ Yes, she is innocent,” said her eldest brother, 
and he now related their wonderful history. Whilst 
he spoke a fragrance as delicious as though it pro- 
ceeded from millions of roses diffused itself around, 
for every piece of wood in the funeral pile had taken 


THE WILD SWANS 


27 


root and sent forth branches, a hedge of blooming 
red roses surrounded Elise, and above all the others 
blossomed a flower of dazzling white colour, bright 
as a star. The King plucked it and laid it on Elise’s 
bosom, whereupon she awoke from her trance with 
peace and joy in her heart. 

And all the church bells began to ring of their 
own accord, and birds flew to the spot in swarms, 
and there was a festive procession back to the palace, 
such as no King has ever seen equalled. 


THE UGLY DUCKLING 


It was beautiful in the country ; it was summer 
time ; the wheat was yellow, the oats were green, 
the hay was stacked up in the green meadows, and 
the stork paraded about on his long red legs, dis- 
coursing in Egyptian, which language he had learned 
from his mother. The fields and meadows were 
skirted by thick woods, and a deep lake lay in the 
midst of the woods. Yes, it was indeed beautiful in 
the country ! The sunshine fell warmly on an old 
mansion, surrounded by deep canals, and from the 
walls down to the water’s edge there grew large bur- 
dock leaves, so high that children could stand upright 
among them without being perceived. This place 
was as wild and unfrequented as the thickest part of 
the wood, and on that account a duck had chosen to 
make her nest there. She was sitting on her eggs ; 
but the pleasure she had felt at first was now almost 
gone, because she had been there so long, and had so 
few visitors, for the other ducks preferred swimming 
on the canals to sitting among the burdock leaves 
gossiping with her. 


28 


THE UGLY DUCKLING 


29 


At last the eggs cracked one after another, “ Tchick, 
tchick ! ” All the eggs were alive, and one little 
head after another peered forth. “ Quack, quack ! ” 
said the Duck, and all got up as well as they could ; 
they peeped about from under the green leaves ; and, 
as green is good for the eyes, their mother let them 
look as long as they pleased. 

“ How large the w^orld is ! ” said the little ones, for 
they found their present situation very different to 
their former confined one, while yet in the egg- 
shells. 

“ Do you imagine this to be the whole of the 
world ? ” said the mother ; “ it extends far beyond 
the other side of the garden to the pastor’s field ; 
but I have never been there. Are you all here?” 
And then she got up. “ No, not all, but the largest 
egg is still here. How long will this last ? I am so 
weary of it !” And then she sat down again. 

“Well, and how- are you getting on? ’’asked an 
old Duck, who had come to pay her a visit. 

“ This one eg y g keeps me so long,” said the mother ; 
“ it will not break ; but you should see the others ! 
They are the prettiest little ducklings I have seen in 
all my days ; they are all like their father, — the 
good-for-nothing fellow, he has not been to visit me 
once ! ” 

“ Let me see the egg that will not break,” said the 


30 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


old Duck ; “ depend upon it, it is a turkey’s egg. I 
was cheated in the same way once myself, and I had 
such trouble with the young ones ; for they were 
afraid of the water, and I could not get them there. 

I called and scolded, but it was all of no use. But let 
me see the egg — ah, yes ! to be sure, that is a 
turkey’s egg. Leave it, and teach the other little 
ones to swim.” 

44 I will sit on it a little longer,” said the Duck. 

44 1 have been sitting so long, that I may as well 
spend the harvest here.” 

44 It is no business of mine,” said the old Duck, 
and away she waddled. 

The great egg burst at last. “Tchick, tchick !” 
said the little one, and out it tumbled — but, oh, how 
large and ugly it was ! The Duck looked at it. 
44 That is a great, strong creature,” said she ; 44 none 
of the others are at all like it ; can it be a young 
turkey-cock ? W ell, we shall so©n find out ; it must 
go into the water, though I push it in myself.” 

The next day there was delightful weather, and the 
sun shone warmly upon all the green leaves when 
Mother Duck with all her family went down to the 
canal : plump she went into the water. 44 Quack, 
quack ! ” cried she, and one duckling after another 
jumped in. The water closed over their heads, but 
all came up again, and swam together in the pleas- 


THE UGLY DUCKLING 


31 


antest manner ; their legs moved without effort. 
All were there, even the ugly, grey one. 

“No! it is not a turkey,” said the old Duck; 
“ only see how prettily it moves its legs ! how up- 
right it holds itself ! it is my own child : it is also 
really very pretty, when one looks more closely at it. 
Quack, quack ! now come with me, I will take you 
into the world, introduce you in the duckyard ; but 
keep close to me, or some one may tread on you ; and 
beware of the cat.” 

So they came into the duckyard. There was a 
horrid noise; two families were quarrelling about the 
remains of an eel, which in the end was secured by 
the cat. 

“ See, my children, such is the way of the world,” 
said the Mother Duck, wiping her beak, for she, too, 
was fond of eels. “ Now use your legs,” said she, 
“keep together, and bow to the old Duck you see 
yonder. She is the most distinguished of all the 
fowls present, and is of Spanish blood, which ac- 
counts for her dignified appearance and manners. 
And look, she has a red rag on her leg ! that is con- 
sidered extremely handsome, and is the greatest dis- 
tinction a duck can have. Don’t turn your feet 
inwards ; a well-educated duckling always keeps his 
legs far apart, like his father and mother, just so — 
look ! now bow your necks, and say ‘ quack.’” 


32 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


And they did as they were told. But the other 
ducks who were in the yard looked at them, and 
said aloud, 44 Only see, now we have another brood, 
as if there were not enough of us already ; and fie ! 
how ugly that one is ; we will not endure it ; ” and 
immediately one of the Ducks flew at him, and bit 
him in the neck. 

“ Leave him alone,” said the mother, 44 he is doing 
no one any harm.” 

44 Yes, but he is so large, and so strange looking, 
and therefore he shall be teased.” 

44 Those are fine children that our good mother 
has,” said the old Duck with the red rag on her leg. 
44 A11 are pretty except one, and that has not turned 
out well ; I almost wish it could be hatched over 
again.” 

44 That cannot be, please your highness,” said the 
mother. 44 Certainly he is not handsome, but he is a 
very good child, and swims as well as the others, in- 
deed rather better. I think he will grow like the 
others all in good time, and perhaps will look smaller. 
He stayed so long in the egg-shell, that is the cause 
of the difference ; ” and she scratched the Duckling’s 
neck, and stroked his whole body. 44 Besides,” added 
she, 44 he is a drake ; I think he will be very strong, 
therefore it does not matter so much ; he will fight 
his way through.” 


THE UGLY DUCKLING 


33 


“ The other Ducks are very pretty,” said the old 
Duck. “ Pray make yourselves at home, and if you 
find an eel’s head you can bring it to me.” 

And accordingly they made themselves at home. 

But the poor little Duckling, who had come last 
out of its egg-shell, and who was so ugly, was bitten, 
pecked, and teased by both Ducks and Hens. “ It is 
so large ! ” said they all. And the Turkey-cock, who 
had come into the world with spurs on, and therefore 
fancied he was an emperor, puffed himself up like a 
ship in full sail, and marched up to the Duckling 
quite red with passion. The poor little thing scarcely 
knew what to do ; he was quite distressed, because 
he was so ugly, and because he was the jest of the 
poultry -yard. 

So passed the first day, and afterwards matters 
grew worse and worse — the poor Duckling was 
scorned by all. Even his brothers and sisters be- 
haved unkindly, and were constantly saying, “ The 
cat fetch thee, thou nasty creature ! ” The mother 
said, “ Ah, if thou wert only far away ! ” The Ducks 
bit him, the Hens pecked him, and the girl who fed 
the poultry kicked turn. He ran over the hedge ; 
the little birds in the bushes were terrified. “ That 
is because I am so ugly,” thought the Duckling, 
shutting his eyes, but he ran on. At last he came to 
a wide moor, where lived some wild Ducks ; here he 


34 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


lay the whole night, so tired and so comfortless. In 
the morning the Wild Ducks flew up, and perceived 
their new companion. “ Pray who are you ? ” asked 
they ; and our little Duckling turned himself in all 
directions, and greeted them as politely as possible. 

“ You are really uncommonly ugly ! ” said the 
Wild Ducks ; “however, that does not matter to us, 
provided you do not marry into our families.” Poor 
thing ! he had never thought of marrying ; he only 
begged permission to lie among the reeds, and drink 
the water of the moor. 

There he lay for two whole days — on the third 
day there came two Wild Geese, or rather Ganders, 
who had not been long out of their egg-shells, which 
accounts for their impertinence. 

“ Hark ye,” said they, “ you are so ugly that we 
like you infinitely well ; will you come with us, and 
be a bird of passage? On another moor, not far 
from this, are some dear, sweet wild geese, as lovely 
creatures as have ever said ‘hiss, hiss.’ You are 
truly in the way to make your fortune, ugly as you 
are.” 

Bang ! a gun went off all at* once, and both Wild 
Geese were stretched dead among the reeds ; the 
water became red with blood ; bang ! a gun went 
off again ; whole flocks of wild geese flew up from 
among the reeds, and another report followed. 


THE UGLY DUCKLING 


35 


There was a grand hunting party : the hunters 
lay in ambush all around ; some were even sitting 
in the trees, whose huge branches stretched far over 
the moor. The blue smoke rose through the thick 
trees like a mist, and was dispersed as it fell over 
the water; the hounds splashed about in the mud, 
the reeds and rushes bent in all directions — how 
frightened the poor little Duck was ! he turned his 
head, thinking to hide it under his wings, and in 
a moment a most formidable-looking dog stood close 
to him, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, his 
eyes sparkling fearfully. He opened wide his jaws 
at the sight of our Duckling, showed him his sharp 
white teeth, and, splash, splash ! he was gone, — 
gone without hurting him. 

“Well! let me be thankful,” sighed he; “I am 
so ugly, that even the dog will not eat me.” 

And now he lay still, though the shooting con- 
tinued among the reeds, shot following shot. 

The noise did not cease till late in the day, and 
even then the poor little thing dared not stir; he 
waited several hours before he looked around him, 
and then hastened away from the moor as fast as he 
could ; he ran over fields and meadows, though the 
wind was so high that he had some difficulty in 
proceeding. 

Towards evening he reached a wretched little hut, 


36 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


so wretched that it knew not on which side to fall, 
and therefore remained standing. The wind blew 
violently, so that our poor little Duckling was 
obliged to support himself on his tail, in order to 
stand against it ; but it became worse and worse. 
He then remarked that the door had lost one of its 
hinges, and hung so much awry that he could creep 
through the crevice into the room, which he did. 

In this room lived an old woman, with her Tom- 
cat and her Hen ; and the Cat, whom she called her 
little son, knew how to set up his back and purr ; 
indeed, he could even emit sparks when stroked the 
wrong way. The Hen had very short legs, and was 
therefore called “ Cuckoo Short-legs ; ” she laid 
very good eggs, and the old woman loved her as 
her own child. 

The next morning the new guest was perceived ; 
the Cat began to mew, and the Hen to cackle. 

“ What is the matter ? ” asked the old woman, 
looking round : however, her eyes were not good, 
so she took the young Duckling to be a fat duck 
who had lost her way. “This is a capital catch,” 
said she ; “ I shall now have ducks’ eggs, if it be not 
a drake : we must try.” 

And so the Duckling was put to the proof for 
three weeks, but no eggs made their appearance. 

Now the Cat was the master of the house, and the 


THE UGLY DUCKLING 


37 


Hen was the mistress, and they used always to say, 
“ We and the world,” for they imagined themselves 
to be not only the half of the world, but also by far 
the better half. The Duckling thought it was pos- 
sible to be of a different opinion, but that the Hen 
would not allow. 

“ Can you lay eggs ? ” asked she. 

“No.” 

“ W ell, then, hold your tongue.” 

And the Cat said, “ Can you set up your back ? 
can you purr ? ” 

“ No.” 

“Well, then, you should have no opinion when 
reasonable persons are speaking.” 

So the Duckling sat alone in a corner, and was in 
a very bad humour ; however, he happened to think 
of the fresh air and bright sunshine, and these 
thoughts gave him such a strong desire to swim 
again, that he could not help telling it to the Hen. 

“What ails you?” said the Hen. “You have 
nothing to do, and therefore brood over these 
fancies ; either lay eggs or purr, then you will for- 
get them.” 

“But it is so delicious to swim ! ” said the Duck- 
ling ; “ so delicious when the waters close over your 
head, and you plunge to the bottom ! ” 

“Well, that is a queer sort of pleasure,” said the 


38 


ANDERSEN y S FAIRY TALES 


Hen; “I think you must be crazy. Not to speak 
of myself, ask the Cat — he is the most sensible 
animal I know — whether he would like to swim, or 
to plunge to the bottom of the water. Ask our 
mistress, the old woman, — there is no one in the 
world wiser than she ; do you think she would take 
pleasure in swimming, and in the waters closing 
over her head ? ” 

“You do not understand me,” said the Duckling. 

“ What, we do not understand you ! So you 
think yourself wiser than the Cat and the old 
woman, not to speak of myself. Do not fancy any 
such thing, child, but be thankful for all the kind- 
ness that has been shown you. Are you not lodged 
in a warm room, and have you not the advantage 
of society from which you can learn something ? 
But you are a simpleton, and it is wearisome to have 
anything to do with you. Believe me, I wish you 
well. I tell you unpleasant truths, but it is thus 
that real friendship is shown. Come, for once give 
yourself the trouble to learn to purr, or to lay eggs.” 

“ I think I will go out into the wide world again,” 
said the Duckling. 

“ Well, go,” answered the Hen. 

So the Duckling went. He swam on the surface 
of the water, he plunged beneath, but all animals 
passed him by, on account of his ugliness. And the 


THE UGLY DUCKLING 


39 


autumn came, the leaves turned yellow and brown, 
the wind caught them and danced them about, the 
air was very cold, the clouds were heavy with hail 
. or snow, and the raven sat on the hedge and 
croaked: — the poor Duckling was certainly not 
very comfortable ! 

One evening, just as the sun was setting with 
unusual brilliancy, a flock of large, beautiful birds 
rose from out of the brushwood ; the Duckling had 
never seen anything so beautiful before ; their plu- 
mage was of a dazzling white, and they had long, 
slender necks. They were Swans ; they uttered a 
singular cry, spread out their long, splendid wings, 
and flew away from these cold regions to warmer 
countries, across the open sea. They flew so high, 
so very high ! and the little Ugly Duckling’s feel- 
ings were so strange ; he turned round and round in 
the water like a millwheel, strained his neck to look 
after them, and sent forth such a loud and strange 
cry, that it almost frightened himself. Ah ! he 
could not forget them, those noble birds ! those 
happy birds ! When he could see them no longer, 
he plunged to the bottom of the water, and when 
he rose again was almost beside himself. The Duck- 
ling knew not what the birds were called, knew not 
whither they were flying, yet he loved them as he 
had never before loved anything ; he envied them 


40 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


not, it would never have occurred to him to wish 
such beauty for himself ; he would have been quite 
contented if the Ducks in the duckyard had but 
endured his company — the poor, ugly animal! 

And the winter was so cold, so cold ! The Duck- 
ling was obliged to swim round and round in the 
water, to keep it from freezing ; but every night the 
opening in which he swam became smaller and 
smaller ; it froze so that the crust of ice crackled ; 
the Duckling was obliged to make good use of his 
legs to prevent the water from freezing entirely ; at 
last, wearied out, he lay stiff and cold in the ice. 

Early in the morning there passed by a peasant, 
who saw him, broke the ice in pieces with his wooden 
shoe, and brought him home to his wife. 

He now revived ; the children would have played 
with him, but our Duckling thought they wished to i 
tease him, and in his terror jumped into the milk- 
pail, so that the milk was spilled about the room : 
the good woman screamed and clapped her hands ; 
he flew thence into the pan where the butter was 
kept, and thence into the meal-barrel, and out again, 
and then how strange he looked ! 

The woman screamed, and struck at him with the 
tongs ; the children ran races with each other trying 
to catch him, and laughed and screamed likewise. 

It was well for him that the door stood open ; he 


THE UGLY DUCKLING 


41 


jumped out among the bushes into the new-fallen 
snow — he lay there as in a dream. 

But it would be too melancholy to relate all the 
trouble and misery that he was obliged to suffer dur- 
ing the severity of the winter : he was lying on a 
moor among the reeds, when the sun began to shine 
„ warmly again, the larks sang, and beautiful spring 
had returned. 

And once more he shook his wings. They were 
stronger than formerly, and bore him forwards 
quickly, and before he was well aware of it he was 
in a large garden where the apple trees stood in full 
bloom, where the syringas sent forth their fragrance, 
and hung their long green branches down into the 
winding canal. Oh ! everything was so lovely, so 
full of the freshness of spring ! And out of the 
thicket came three beautiful white Swans. They 
displayed their feathers so proudly, and swam so 
lightly, so lightly ! The Duckling knew the glorious 
creatures, and was seized with a strange melancholy. 

“ I will fly to them, those kingly birds ! ” said he. 
“ They will kill me, because I, ugly as I am, have pre- 
sumed to approach them ; but it matters not, better 
to be killed by them than to be bitten by the ducks, 
pecked by the hens, kicked by the girl who feeds 
the poultry, and to have so much to suffer during 
the winter ! ” He flew into the water, and swam 


42 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


towards the beautiful creatures ; they saw him and 
shot forward to meet him. “ Only kill me,” said 
the poor animal, and he bowed his head low, expect- 
ing death ; but what did he see in the water ? He 
saw beneath him his own form, no longer that of a 
plump, ugly, grey bird — it was that of a Swan. 

It matters not to have been born in a duckyard, 
if one has been hatched from a Swan’s egg. 

The good creature felt himself really elevated by 
all the troubles and adversities he had experienced. 
He could now rightly estimate his own happiness, 
and the larger Swans swam round him, and stroked 
him with their beaks. 

Some little children were running about in the gar- 
den ; they threw grain and bread into the water, and 
the youngest exclaimed, “ There is a new one ! ” the 
others also cried out, “ Yes, there is a new Swan 
come ! ” and they clapped their hands, and danced 
around. They ran to their father and mother, bread 
and cake were thrown into the water, and every one 
said, “ The new one is the best, so young and so 
beautiful ! ” and the old Swans bowed before him. 
The young Swan felt quite ashamed, and hid his 
head under his wings ; he scarcely knew what to do, 
he was all too happy, but still not proud, for a good 
heart is never proud. 

He remembered how he had been persecuted and 


THE UGLY DUCKLING 


43 


derided, and he now heard ever} 7 one say, he was the 
most beautiful of all beautiful birds. The syringas 
bent down their branches towards him low into the 
water, and the sun shone so warmly and brightly — 
he shook his feathers, stretched his slender neck, and 
in the joy of his heart said, “ How little did I dream 
of so much happiness when I was the ugly, despised 
Duckling ! ” 


THE LITTLE MERMAID 


Far out in the wide sea, where the water is blue as 
the loveliest corn-flower, and clear as the purest 
crystal, where it is so deep that very, very many 
church-towers must be heaped one upon another in 
order to reach from the lowest depth to the surface 
above, dwell the Mer people. 

Now you must not imagine that there is nothing 
but sand below the water ; no, indeed, far from it ! 
Trees and plants of wondrous beauty grow there, 
whose stems and leaves are so light, that they are 
waved to and fro by the slightest motion of the 
water, almost as if they were living beings. Fishes, 
great and small, glide in and out among the branches, 
just as birds fly about among our trees. 

Where the water is deepest stands the palace of 
the Mer king. The walls of the palace are of coral, 
and the high, pointed windows are of amber ; the 
roof, however, is composed of mussel shells, which, 
as the billows pass over them, are continually open- 
ing and shutting. This looks exceedingly pretty, 
especially as each of these mussel shells contains a 
number of bright, glittering pearls, one only of 
44 


THE LITTLE MERMAID 


45 


which would be the most costly ornament in the 
diadem of a king in the upper world. 

The Mer king, who lived in this palace, had been 
for many years a widower ; his old mother managed 
the household affairs for him. She was, on the 
whole, a sensible sort of a lady, although extremely 
proud of her high birth and station, on which ac- 
count she wore twelve oysters on her tail, whilst the 
other inhabitants of the sea, even those of distinction, 
were allowed only six. In every other respect she 
merited unlimited praise, especially for the affec- 
tion she Showed to the six little Princesses, her 
granddaughters. These were all very beautiful 
children ; the youngest was, however, the most 
lovely ; her skin was as soft and delicate as a rose- 
leaf, her eyes were of as deep a blue as the sea, but, 
like all other mermaids, she had no feet ; her body 
ended in a tail like that of a fish. 

The whole day long the children used to play in 
the spacious apartments of the palace, where beauti- 
ful flowers grew out of the walls on all sides around 
them. When the great amber windows were opened, 
fishes would swim into these apartments as swallows 
fly into our rooms ; but the fishes were bolder than 
the swallows — they swam straight up to the little 
Princesses, ate from their hands, and alio'wed them- 
selves to be caressed. 


46 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


In front of the palace there was a large garden, 
full of fiery red and dark blue trees ; the fruit upon 
them glittered like gold, and the flowers resembled 
a bright burning sun. The sand that formed the 
soil of the garden was of a bright blue color, some- 
what like flames of sulphur ; and a strangely beauti- 
ful blue was spread over the whole, so that one 
might have fancied oneself raised very high in the 
air, with the sky at once above and below — certainly 
not at the bottom of the sea. When the waters were 
quite still, the sun might be seen looking like a 
purple flower, out of whose cup streamed forth the 
light of the world. 

Each of the little Princesses had her own plot in 
the garden, where she might plant and sow at her 
pleasure. One chose hers to be made in the shape 
of a whale, another preferred the figure of a mer- 
maid, but the youngest had hers quite round like the 
sun, and planted in it only those flowers that were 
red, as the sun seemed to her. She was certainly a 
singular child, very quiet and thoughtful. Whilst 
her sisters were adorning themselves with all sorts 
of gay things that came out of a ship which had been 
wrecked, she asked for nothing but a beautiful white 
marble statue of a boy, which had been found in it. 
She put the statue in her garden, and planted a red 
weeping willow by its side. The tree grew up quickly, 


THE LITTLE MERMAID 


47 


and let its long boughs fall upon the bright blue 
ground, where ever moving shadows played in violet 
hues, as if boughs and root were embracing. 

Nothing pleased the little Princess more than to 
hear about the world of human beings living above 
the sea. She made her old grandmother tell her 
everything she knew about ships, towns, men, and 
land animals, and was particularly pleased when she 
heard that the flowers of the upper world had a pleas- 
ant fragrance (for the flowers of the sea are scent- 
less), and that the woods were green, and the fishes 
fluttering among the branches of various gay colours, 
and that they could sing with a loud, clear voice. 
The old lady meant birds, but she called them fishes, 
because her grandchildren, having never seen a bird, 
would not otherwise have understood her. 

“ When you have attained your fifteenth year,” 
added she, “ you will be permitted to rise to the sur- 
face of the sea ; you will, then sit by moonlight in 
the clefts of the rocks, see the ships sail by, and learn 
to distinguish towns and men.” 

The next year the eldest of the sisters reached this 
happy age, but the others — alas ! the second sister 
was a year younger than the eldest, the third a year 
younger than the second, and so on. The youngest 
had still five whole years to wait till that joyful time 
should come when she also might rise to the surface 


48 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


of the water and see what was going on in the upper 
world ; however, the eldest promised to tell the 
others about everything she might see, when the first 
day of her being of age arrived ; for the grandmother 
gave them but little information, and there was so 
much that they wished to hear. 

But none of all the sisters longed so ardently for 
the day when she should be released from childish 
restraint as the youngest — she who had longest to 
wait, and was so quiet and thoughtful. Many a 
night she stood by the open window, looking up 
through the clear blue water, whilst the fishes were 
leaping and playing around her. She could see the 
sun and the moon ; their light was pale, but they ap- 
peared larger than they do to those who live in the 
upper world. If a shadow- passed over them, she 
knew it must be either a whale, or a ship sailing by 
full of human beings. Never could these last have 
imagined that, far beneath them, a little mermaiden 
was passionately stretching forth her white hands 
towards their ship’s keel. 

The day had now arrived when the eldest Princess 
had attained her fifteenth year, and was therefore 
allowed to rise up to the surface of the sea. 

When she returned she had a thousand things to 
relate. Her chief pleasure had been to sit upon a 
sand -bank in the moonlight, looking at the large 


THE LITTLE MERMAID 


49 


town which lay on the coast, where lights were 
beaming like stars, and where music was playing ; she 
had heard the distant noise of men and carriages, she 
had seen the high church-towers, had listened to the 
ringing of the bells ; and just because she could not 
go on shore she longed the more after all these things. 

How attentively did her youngest sister listen to 
her words ! And when she next stood, at night 
time, by her open window, gazing upward through 
the blue waters, her thoughts dwelt so eagerly upon 
the great city, full of life and sound, that she fancied 
she could hear the church bells ringing. 

Next year the second sister received permission to 
swim wherever she pleased. She rose to the surface 
of the sea, just when the sun was setting ; and this 
sight so delighted her, that she declared it to be more 
beautiful than anything else she had seen above the 
waters. 

“ The whole sky seemed tinged with gold,” said 
she ; “ and it is impossible for me to describe to you 
the beauty of the clouds. Now red, now violet, they 
glided over me ; but still more swiftly flew over the 
water a flock of white swans, just where the sun was 
descending ; I looked after them, but the sun dis- 
appeared, and the bright rosy light on the surface of 
the sea and on the edges of the clouds died away 
gradual! v.” 


50 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


It was now time for the third sister to visit the ; 
upper world. She was the boldest of the six, and 
ventured up a river. On its shores she saw green 
hills, covered with woods and vineyards, from among 
which arose houses and castles. She heard the birds 
singing, aitd the sun shone with so much power, that > 
she was continually obliged to plunge below, in 
order to cool her burning face. In a little bay she 
met with a number of children, who were bathing 
and jumping about ; she would have joined in their 
gambols, but the children fled back to land in great j 
terror, and a little black animal barked at her in 
such a manner, that she herself was frightened at 
last, and swam back to the sea. But never could she ’ 
forget the green woods, the verdant hills, and the 
pretty children, who, although they had no fins, were 
swimming about in the river so fearlessly. 

The fourth sister was not so bold ; she remained j 
in the open sea, and said, on her return home, she 1 
thought nothing could be more beautiful. She had I 
seen ships sailing by — so far off that they looked 
like sea gulls ; she had watched the merry dolphins } 
gambolling in the water, and the enormous whales j 
sending up into the air a thousand sparkling foun- 
tains. 

The year after, the fifth sister attained her fif- 
teenth year, — her birthday happened at a different 


THE LITTLE MERMAID 


51 


season to that of her sisters ; it was winter, the sea 
was of a green colour, and immense icebergs were 
floating on its surface. These, she said, looked like 
pearls, although all were much larger than the church- 
towers in the land of human beings. She sat down 
upon one of these pearls, and let the wind play with 
her long hair, but then all the ships hoisted their 
sails in terror, and escaped as quickly as possible. 
In the evening the sky was covered with clouds ; 
and whilst the great mountains of ice alternately 
sank and rose again, and beamed with a reddish 
glow, flashes of lightning burst forth from the clouds, 
and the thunder rolled on, peal after peal. The sails 
of all the ships were instantly furled, and horror and 
affright reigned on board ; but the Princess sat still 
on the iceberg, looking unconcernedly at the blue 
zig-zag of the flashes. 

The first time that either of these sisters rose out 
of the sea, she was quite enchanted at the sight of 
so many new and beautiful objects ; but the novelty 
was soon over, and it was not long ere their own home 
appeared far more attractive than the upper world. 

Many an evening would the five sisters rise hand 
in hand from the depths of the ocean. Their voices 
were far sweeter than any human voice, and when a 
storm was coming on, they would swim in front of 
the ships and sing, — oh, how sweetly did they sing! 


52 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


— describing the happiness of those who lived at the 
bottom of the sea, and entreating the sailors not to 
be afraid, but to come down to them. 

But the mariners did not understand their words, 

— they fancied the song was only the whistling of 
the wind, — and thus they lost the hidden glories of 
the sea ; for if their ships were wrecked, all on board 
were drowned, and none but dead men ever entered 
the Mer king’s palace. 

Whilst the sisters were swimming at evening time, 
the youngest would remain motionless and alone in 
her father’s palace, looking up after them. She 
would have wept, but mermaids cannot weep, and 
therefore, when they are troubled, suffer infinitely 
more than human beings do. 

“Oh! if I were but fifteen!” sighed she; “I 
know that I should love the upper world and its 
inhabitants so much ! ” 

At last the time she had so longed for arrived. 

“Well, now it is your turn,” said the grandmother ; 
“come here that I may adorn you like your sisters.” 
And winding around her hair a wreath of white 
lilies, whose every petal was the half of a pearl, she 
commanded eight large oysters to fasten themselves 
to the Princess’s tail, in token of her high rank. 

“ But that is so very uncomfortable ! ” said the little 
Princess. 


THE LITTLE MERMAID 


53 


“ One must not mind slight inconveniences when 
one wishes to look well,” said the old lady. 

How willingly would the Princess have given up 
all this splendour, and exchanged her heavy crown 
for the red flowers of her garden, which were so 
much more becoming to her. But she dared not do 
so. “Farewell !” said she; and she rose from the 
sea, light as a flake of foam. 

When, for the first time in her life, she appeared 
on the surface of the water, the sun had just sunk 
below the horizon, the clouds were beaming with 
bright golden and rosy hues, the evening star was 
shining in the pale western sky, the air was mild and 
refreshing, and the sea as smooth as a looking-glass. 
A large ship with three masts lay on the still waters ; 
one sail only was unfurled, for not a breath was stir- 
ring, and the sailors were quietly seated on the cord- 
age and ladders of the vessel. Music and song 
resounded from the deck, and after it grew dark 
hundreds of lamps all on a sudden burst forth into 
light, whilst innumerable flags were fluttering over- 
head. The little Mermaid swam close up to the 
captain’s cabin, and every now and then, when the 
ship was raised by the motion of the water, she could 
look through the clear window-panes. She saw 
within many richly dressed men ; the handsomest 
among them was a young Prince with large black 


54 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


eyes. He could not certainly be more than sixteen 
years old, and it was in honour of his birthday that 
a grand festival was being celebrated. The crew 
were dancing on the deck, and when the young 
Prince appeared among them, a hundred rockets 
were sent up into the air, turning night into day, 
and so terrifying the little Mermaid, that for some 
minutes she plunged beneath the water. However, 
she soon raised her little head again, and then it 
seemed as if all the stars were falling down upon 
her. Such a fiery shower she had never seen before, 
— never had she heard that men possessed such won- 
derful powers. Large suns revolved around her, 
bright fishes floated in the air, and all these marvels 
were reflected on the clear surface of the sea. It 
was so light in the ship, that everything could be 
seen distinctly. Oh! how happy the young Prince 
was! he shook hands with the sailors, laughed and 
jested with them, whilst sweet notes of music 
mingled with the silence of the night. 

It was now late, but the little Mermaid could not 
tear herself away from the ship and the handsome 
young Prince. She remained looking through the 
cabin window, rocked to and fro by the waves. 
There was a foaming and fermentation in the depths 
beneath, and the ship began to move on faster, — the 
sails were spread, the waves rose high, thick clouds 


THE LITTLE MERMAID 


55 


gathered over the sky, and the noise of distant thun- 
der was heard. The sailors perceived that a storm 
was coming on, so they again furled the sails. The 
great vessel was tossed about on the tempestuous 
ocean like a light boat, and the waves rose to an 
immense height, towering over the ship, which alter- 
nately sank beneath, and rose above them. To the 
little Mermaid this seemed most delightful, but the 
ship’s crew thought very differently. The vessel 
cracked, the stout masts bent under the violence of 
the billows, the water rushed in. For a minute the 
ship tottered to and fro, then the main-mast broke, 
as if it had been a reed ; the ship turned over, and 
was filled with water. The little Mermaid now per- 
ceived that the crew was in danger, for she herself 
was forced to beware of the beams and splinters torn 
from the vessel, and floating about on the waves. 
But at the same time it became pitch dark, so that 
she could not distinguish anything ; presently, how- 
ever, a dreadful flash of lightning disclosed to her 
the whole of the wreck. Her eyes sought the young 
Prince ; the same instant the ship sank to the bottom. 
At first she was delighted, thinking that the Prince 
must now come to her abode, but she soon remem- 
bered that man cannot live in water, and that there- 
fore, if the Prince ever entered her palace, it would 
be as a corpse. 


56 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


“ Die ! no, he must not die ! ” She swam through 
the fragments with which the water was strewn, 
regardless of the danger she was incurring, and at 
last found the Prince all but exhausted, and with 
great difficulty keeping his head above water. He 
had already closed his eyes, and must inevitably 
have been drowned, had not the little Mermaid come 
to his rescue. She seized hold of him and kept him 
above water, suffering the current to bear them on 
together. 

Towards morning the storm was hushed ; no trace, 
however, remained of the ship. The sun rose like 
fire out of the sea ; his beams seemed to restore 
colour to the Prince’s cheeks, but his eyes were still 
closed. The Mermaid kissed his high forehead and 
stroked his wet hair away from his face. He looked 
like the marble statue in her garden ; she kissed him 
again, and wished most fervently that he might 
recover. 

She now saw the dry land with its mountains glit- 
tering with snow. A green wood extended along 
the coast, and at the entrance of the wood stood a 
chapel or convent, she could not be sure which. 
Citron and melon trees grew in the garden adjoining 
it, an avenue of tall palm trees led up to the door. 
The sea here formed a little bay, in which the water 
was quite smooth, but very deep, and under the 


THE LITTLE MERMAID 


57 


cliffs there were dry firm sands. Hither ‘swam the 
little Mermaid with the seemingly dead Prince ; she 
laid him upon the warm sand, and took care to place 
his head high, and to turn his face to the sun. 

The bells began to ring in the large white build- 
ing which stood before her, and a number of young 
girls came out to walk in the garden. The Mer- 
maid went away from the shore, hid herself behind 
some stones, covered her head with foam, so that her 
little face could not be seen, and watched the Prince 
with unremitting attention. 

It was not long before one of the young girls 
j approached; she seemed quite frightened at finding 
the Prince in this state, apparently dead; soon, how- 
j ever, she recovered herself, and ran back to call her 
sisters. The little Mermaid saw that the Prince 
revived, and that all around smiled kindly and joy- 
fully upon him ; for her, however, he looked not ; 
he knew not that it was she who had saved him ; and 
when the Prince was taken into the house, she felt 
so sad that she immediately plunged beneath the 
water, and returned to her father’s palace. 

If she had been before quiet and thoughtful, she 
now grew still more so. Her sisters asked her what 
she had seen in the upper world, but she made no 
answer. 

Many an evening she rose to the place where she 


58 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


had left the Prince. She saw the snow on the moun- 
tains melt, the fruits in the garden ripen and gath- 
ered, but the Prince she never saw; so she always 
returned sorrowfully to her home under the sea. 
Her only pleasure was to sit in her little garden, 
gazing on the beautiful statue so like the Prince. 
She cared no longer for her flowers, they grew up in 
wild luxuriance, covered the steps, and entwined 
their long stems and tendrils among the boughs of 
the trees, until her whole garden became a bower. 

At last, being unable to conceal her sorrow any 
longer, she revealed the secret to one of her sisters, 
who told it to the other Princesses, and they to some 
of their friends. Among them was a young mermaid 
who recollected the Prince, having been an eye witness 
herself to the festivities in the ship ; she knew also 
in what country the Prince lived, and the name of 
its king. 

“ Come, little sister ! ” said the Princesses, and, 
embracing her, they rose together arm in arm, out 
of the water, just in front of the Prince’s palace. 

This palace was built of bright yellow stones, a 
flight of white marble steps led from it down to the 
sea. A gilded cupola crowned the building, and 
white marble figures, which might almost have been 
taken for real men and women, were placed among 
the pillars surrounding it. Through the clear glass 


THE LITTLE MERMAID 


59 


of the high windows one might look into magnificent 
apartments hung with silken curtains, the walls 
adorned with beautiful paintings. It was a real treat 
to the little royal mermaids to behold so splendid 
an abode ; they gazed through the windows of one of 
the largest rooms, and in the centre saw a fountain 
playing, whose waters sprang up so high as to reach 
the glittering cupola above, through which fell the 
sunbeams, dancing on the water, and brightening 
the pretty plants which grew around it. 

The little Mermaid now knew where her beloved 
Prince dwelt, and henceforth she went there almost 
every evening. She often approached nearer the 
land than her sisters had ventured, and even swam 
up the narrow channel that flowed under the marble 
balcony. Here, on bright moonlight nights, she 
would watch the young Prince, whilst he believed 
himself alone. 

Sometimes she saw him sailing on the water in a 
gaily painted boat, with many coloured flags waving 
above. She would then hide among the green reeds 
which grew on the banks, listening to his voice ; and 
if any one in the boat noticed the rustling of her 
long silver veil, when it was caught now and then 
by the light breeze, they only fancied it was a swan 
flapping his wings. 

Many a night, when the fishermen were casting their 


60 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


nets by the beacon’s light, she heard them talking of 
the Prince, and relating the noble actions he had 
performed. She was then so happy, thinking how 
she had saved his life when struggling with the 
waves, and remembering how his head had rested on 
her bosom, and how she had kissed him when he 
knew nothing of it, and could never even dream of 
her existence. 

Human beings became more and more dear to her 
every day ; she wished that she were one of them. 
Their world seemed to her much larger than that of 
the Mer people ; they could fly over the ocean in 
their ships, as well as climb to the summits of those 
high mountains that rose above the clouds ; and , 
their wooded domains extended much farther than 
a mermaid’s eye could penetrate. 

There were many things that she wished to hear 
explained, but her sisters could not give her any 
satisfactory answer ; she was again obliged to have 
recourse to the old Queen-mother, who knew a great 
deal about the upper world, which she used to call 
“the country above the sea.” 

“Do men, when they are not drowned, live for 
ever ? ” she asked one day ; “ do they not die as we 
do, who live at the bottom of the sea ? ” 

“Yes,” was the grandmother’s reply, “they must 
die like us, and their life is much shorter than ours. 


THE LITTLE MERMAID 


61 


W e live to the age of three hundred years, but, when 
we die, we become foam on the sea, and are not al- 
lowed even to share a grave among those that are dear 
to us. We have no immortal souls, we can never 
live again, and are like the green rushes which 
when once cut down are withered for eve*. Human 
beings, on the contrary, have souls that continue to 
live when their bodies become dust, and as we rise 
out of the water to admire the abode of man, even so 
these souls ascend to glorious unknown dwellings in 
the skies, which we are not permitted to see.” 

“ Why have not we immortal souls ? ” asked the 
little Mermaid. “ I would willingly give up my 
three hundred years to be a human being for only 
one day, thus to become entitled to that heavenly 
world above.” 

“ You must not think of that,” answered her 
grandmother, “ it is much better as it is ; we live 
longer, and are far happier than human beings.” 

“ So I must die, and be dashed like foam over the 
sea, never to rise again and hear the gentle murmur 
of the ocean, never again to see the beautiful flowers 
and the bright sun ! — Tell me, dear grandmother, 
are there no means by which I may obtain an im- 
mortal soul ? ” 

“No ! ” replied the old lady. “It is true that if 
thou couldest so win the affections of a human being 


62 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


as to become dearer to him than either father or 
mother ; if he loved thee with all his heart, and 
promised, whilst the priest joined his hands with thine, 
to be always faithful to thee ; then his soul would flow 
into thine, and thou wouldest become partaker of h uman 
bliss. But that can never be ! for what in our eyes 
is the most beautiful part of our body, the tail, the 
inhabitants of the earth think hideous : they cannot 
bear it. To appear handsome to them, the body 
must have two clumsy props which they call legs.” 

The little Mermaid sighed and looked mournfully 
at the scaly part of her form, otherwise so fair and 
delicate. 

“We are happy,” added the old lady; “we shall 
jump and swim about merrily for three hundred 
years ; that is a long time, and afterwards we shall 
repose peacefully in death. This evening we have a 
court ball.” 

The ball which the Queen-mother spoke of was far 
more splendid than any the earth has ever seen. 
The walls of the saloon were of crystal, very thick, but 
yet very clear ; hundreds of large mussel shells were 
planted in rows Along them : these shells were some 
of rose-colour, some green as grass, but all sending 
forth a bright light, which not only illuminated the 
whole apartment, but also shone through the glassy 
walls so as to light up the waters around, and mak- 


THE LITTLE MERMAID 


63 


ing the scales of the numberless fishes, great and 
small, crimson and purple, silver and gold-coloured, 
appear more brilliant than ever. 

Through the centre of the saloon flowed a bright, 
clear stream, on the surface of which danced mermen 
and mermaids to the melody of their own sweet 
voices — voices far sweeter than those of the dwellers 
upon earth. The little Princess sang most sweetly 
of all, and they clapped their hands and applauded 
her. For a moment it pleased her to be thus re- 
minded that there was neither on earth nor in the 
sea a more beautiful voice than hers. But her 
thoughts soon returned to the world above her ; she 
could not forget the handsome Prince ; she could 
not control her sorrow at not having an immortal 
soul. She stole away from her father’s palace, and 
whilst all was joy within she sat alone, lost in thought, 
in her little neglected garden. On a sudden she 
heard the tones of horns resounding over the water 
far away in the distance, and she said to herself: 
“ Now he is going out to hunt — he whom I love more 
than my father and my mother, with whom my 
thoughts are constantly occupied, and to whom I 
would so willingly trust the happiness of my life ! 
All, all ! will I risk to win him — and an immortal 
soul ! Whilst my sisters are still dancing in the 
palace, I will go to the enchantress, whom I have 


64 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


hitherto feared so much, but who is, nevertheless, the 
only person who can advise and help me.” 

So the little Mermaid left the garden, and went 
to the foaming whirlpool beyond which dwelt the 
enchantress. She had never been this way before ; 
neither flowers nor sea-grass bloomed along her path ; 
she had to traverse an extent of bare, grey sand till 
she reached the whirlpool, whose waters were eddy- 
ing and whizzing like mill wheels, tearing everything 
they could seize along with them into the abyss 
below. She was obliged to make her way through 
this horrible place, in order to arrive at the territory 
of the enchantress. Then she had to pass through a 
boiling, slimy bog, which the enchantress called her 
turf moor : her house stood in a wood beyond this, 
and a strange abode it was. All the trees and bushes 
around were polypi, looking like hundred-headed 
serpents shooting up out of the ground ; their 
branches were long, slimy arms with fingers of 
worms, every member, from the root to the utter- 
most tip, ceaselessly moving and extending on all 
sides. Whatever they seized they fastened upon so 
that it could not loosen itself from their grasp. The 
little Mermaid stood still for a minute looking at 
this horrible wood, her heart beat with fear, and she 
would certainly have returned without attaining her 
object, had she not remembered the Prince — and 


THE LITTLE MERMAID 


65 


immortality. The thought gave her new courage, 
she bound up her long waving hair, that the polypi 
might not catch hold of it, crossed her delicate arms 
over her bosom, and swifter than a fish can glide 
through the water, she passed these unseemly trees, 
who stretched their eager arms after her in vain. 
She could not, however, help seeing that every poly- 
pus had something in its grasp, held as firmly* by a 
thousand little arms as if enclosed by iron bands. 
The whitened skulls of a number of human beings 
who had been drowned in the sea, and had sunk into 
the abyss, grinned horribly from the arms of these 
polypi 0 ; helms, chests, skeletons of land animals were 
also held in their embrace ; among other things 
might be seen even a little mermaid whom they 
had seized and strangled ! What a fearful sight 
for the unfortunate Princess ! 

But she got safely through this wood of horrors, 
and then arrived at a slimy place, where immense, 
fat snails were crawling about, and in the midst of 
this place stood a house built of the bones of unfortu- 
nate people who had been shipwrecked. Here sat 
the witch caressing a toad in the same manner as 
some persons would a pet bird. The ugly fat snails 
she called her chickens, and she permitted them to 
crawl about her. 

44 1 know well what you would ask of me,” said 


66 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


she to the little Princess. “ Your wish is foolish 
enough, yet it shall be fulfilled, though its accom- 
plishment is sure to bring misfortune on you, my 
fairest Princess. You wish to get rid of your tail, 
and to have instead two stilts, like those of human 
beings, in order that a young Prince may fall in love 
with you, and that you may obtain an immortal soul 
— i^ it not so?” Whilst the witch spoke these 
words, she laughed so violently that her pet toad 
and snails fell from her lap. “ You come just at the 
right time,” continued she ; “ had you come after 
sunset, it would not have been in my power to have 
helped you before another year. I will prepare for 
you a drink, with which you must swim to land ; 
you must sit down upon the shore and swallow it, 
and then your tail will fall and shrink up to the 
things which men call legs. This transformation 
will, however, be very painful : you will feel as though 
a sharp knife passed through your body. All who 
look on you, after you have been thus changed, will 
say that you are the loveliest child of earth they have 
ever seen : you will retain your peculiar undulating 
movements, and no dancer will move so lightly, but 
every step you take will cause you pain all but un- 
bearable ; it will seem to you as though you were 
walking on the sharp edges of swords, and your blood 
will flow. Can you endure all this suffering? If so, 
I will grant your request.” 


THE LITTLE MERMAID 


67 


“ Yes, I will,” answered the Princess, with a falter- 
ing voice ; for she remembered her dear Prince, and 
the immortal soul which her suffering might win. 

“ Only consider,” said the witch, “ that you can 
never again become a mermaid, when once you have 
received a human form. You may never return to 
your sisters, and your father’s palace; and unless 
you shall win the Prince’s love to such a degree, that 
he shall leave father and mother for you, that you 
shall be mixed % up with all his thoughts and wishes, 
and unless the priest join your hands, so that you 
become man and wife, you will never obtain the 
immortality you seek. The morrow of the day on 
which he is united to another will see your death ; 
your heart will break with sorrow, and you will be 
changed to foam on the sea.” 

“ Still I will venture ! ” said the little Mermaid, 
pale and trembling as a dying person. 

“ Besides all this, I must be paid, and it is no slight 
thing that I require for my trouble. Thou hast the 
sweetest voice of all the dwellers in the sea, and thou 
thinkest by its means to charm the Prince ; this voice, 
however, I demand as my recompense. The best 
thing thou possessest I require in exchange for my 
magic drink ; for I shall be obliged to sacrifice my 
own blood, in order to give it the sharpness of a two- 
edged sword.” 


68 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


“ But if }^ou take my voice from me,” said the Prin- 
cess, “ what have I left with which to charm the 
Prince ? ” 

“ Thy graceful form,” replied the witch, “ thy un- 
dulating motion, and speaking eyes. With such as 
these, it will be easy to infatuate a vain human heart. 
Well now! hast thou lost courage? Put out thy 
little tongue, that I may cut it off, and take it for 
myself, in return for my magic elixir.” 

“ Be it so ! ” said the Princess, and Jthe witch took 
up her cauldron, in order to mix her potion. “ Clean- 
liness is a good thing,” remarked she, as she began 
to rub the cauldron with a handful of snails. She 
then scratched her bosom, and let the black blood 
trickle down into the cauldron, every moment throw- 
ing in new ingredients, the smoke from the mixture 
assuming such horrible forms as were enough to fill 
beholders with terror, and a moaning and groaning 
proceeding from it which might be compared to the 
weeping of Crocodiles. The magic drink at length 
became clear and transparent as pure water : it was 
ready. 

“ Here it is ! ” said the witch to the Princess, cut- 
ting out her tongue at the same moment. The poor 
little Mermaid was now dumb — she could neither 
sing nor speak. 

“ If the polypi should attempt to seize you, as you 


THE LITTLE MERMAID 


69 


pass through my little grove,” said the witch, “ you 
have only to sprinkle some of this liquid over them, 
and their arms will burst into a thousand of pieces.” 
But the Princess had no need of this counsel, for the 
polypi drew hastily back, as soon as they perceived 
the bright phial, that glittered in her hand like a 
star : thus she passed safely through the formidable 
wood, over the moor, and across the foaming mill 
I stream. 

She now looked once again at her father’s palace ; 
the lamps in the saloon were extinguished, and all 
the family were asleep. She would not go in, for 
she could not speak if she did ; she was about to 
leave her home for ever ; her heart was ready to 
break with sorrow at the thought. She stole into 
the garden, plucked a flower from the bed of each of 
her sisters as a remembrance, kissed her hand again 
and again, and then rose through the dark blue waters 
to the world above. 

The sun had not yet risen when she arrived at the 
Prince’s dwelling, and ascended those well-known 
marble steps. The moon still shone in the sky when 
the little Mermaid drank off the wonderful liquid 
contained in her phial, — she felt it run through her 
like a sharp knife, and she fell down in a swoon. 
When the sun rose she awoke, and felt a burning 
pain in all her limbs, but — she saw standing close 


70 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


to her the object of her love, the handsome young 
Prince, whose coal-black eyes were fixed inquiringly 
upon her. Full of shame, she cast down her own, 
and perceived, instead of the long, fish-like tail she 
ha^l hitherto borne, two slender legs; but she was 
quite naked, and tried in vain to cover herself with 
her long thick hair. The Prince asked who she was, 
and how she had got there : and she, in reply, smiled 
and gazed upon him with her bright blue eyes, for, 
alas ! she could not speak. He then led her by the 
hand into the palace. She found that the witch had 
told her true ; she felt as though she were walking 
on the edges of sharp swords, but she bore the pain 
willingly : on she passed, light as a zephyr, and all 
who saw her wondered at her light undulating 
movements. 

When she entered the palace, rich clothes of 
muslin and silk were brought to her ; she was love- 
lier than all who dwelt there, but she could neither 
speak nor sing. Some female slaves, gaily dressed 
in silk and gold brocade, sung before the Prince 
and his royal parents ; and one of them distin- 
guished herself by her clear sweet voice, which the 
Prince applauded by clapping his hands. This 
made the little Mermaid very sad, for she knew 
that she used to sing far better than the young 
slave. “ Alas ! ” thought she, “ if he did but know 


THE LITTLE MERMAID 


71 


that for his sake I have given away my voice for 
ever.” 

The slaves began to dance : our lovely little Mer- 
maiden then arose, stretched out her delicate white 
arms, and hovered gracefully about the room. Every 
motion displayed more and more the perfect sym- 
metry and elegance of her figure ; and the expres- 
sion which beamed in her speaking eyes touched 
the hearts of the spectators far more than the song 
of the slaves. 

All present were enchanted, but especially the 
young Prince, who called her his dear little found- 
ling. And she danced again and again, although 
every step cost her excessive pain. The Prince 
then said she should always be with him ; and 
accordingly a sleeping place was prepared for her 
on velvet cushions in the anteroom of his own 
apartment. 

The Prince caused a suit of male apparel to be 
made for her, in order that she might accompany 
him in his rides ; so together they traversed the fra- 
grant woods, where green boughs brushed against 
their shoulders, and the birds sang merrily among 
the fresh leaves. With him she climbed up steep 
mountains, and although her tender feet bled, so 
as to be remarked by the attendants, she only smiled, 
and followed her dear Prince to the heights, whence 


72 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


they could see the clouds chasing each other beneath 
them, like a flock of birds migrating to other coun- 
tries. 

During the night she would, when all in the 
palace were at rest, walk down the marble steps, in 
order to cool her burning feet in the deep waters ; 
she would then think of those beloved ones who 
dwelt in the lower world. 

One night, as she was thus bathing her feet, her 
sisters swam together to the spot, arm in arm and 
singing, but, alas ! so mournfully ! She beckoned 
to them, and they immediately recognised her, and 
told her how great was the mourning in her father’s 
house for her loss. From this time the sisters visited 
her every night ; and once they brought with them 
the old grandmother, who had not seen the upper 
world for a great many years ; they likewise brought 
their father, the Mer king, with his crown on his 
head ; but these two old people did not venture 
near enough to land to be able to speak to her. 

The little Mermaiden became dearer and dearer 
to the Prince every day ; but he only looked upon 
her as a sweet gentle child ; and the thought of 
making her his wife never entered his head. And 
yet his wife she must be, ere she could receive an 
immortal soul ; his wife she must be, or she would 
change into foam, and be driven restlessly over the 
billows of the sea ! 




THE LITTLE MERMAID 


73 


“ Dost thou not love me above all others ? ” her 
eyes seemed to ask, as he pressed her fondly in his 
arms, and kissed her lovely brow. 

“Yes,” the Prince would say, “thou art dearer 
to me than any other, for no one is as good as thou 
art ! Thou lovest me so much ; and thou art so 
like a young maiden, whom I have seen but once, 
and may never see again. I was on board a ship, 
which was wrecked by a sudden tempest ; the waves 
threw me on the shore, near a holy temple, where 
a number of young girls are occupied constantly 
with religious services. The youngest of them 
found me on the shore, and saved my life. I saw 
her only once, but her image is vividly impressed 
upon my memory, and her alone can I love. But 
she belongs to the holy temple ; and thou, who 
resemblest her so much, hast been given to me for 
consolation ; never will we be parted ! ” 

“ Alas ! he does not know that it was I who saved 
his life,” thought the little Mermaiden, sighing 
deeply ; “ I bore him over the wild waves, into the 
wooded bay, where the holy temple stood ; I sat 
behind the rocks, waiting till some one should come. 
I saw the pretty maiden approach, whom he loves 
more than me,” — and again she heaved a deep sigh, 
for she could not weep, — “ he said that the young 
girl belongs to the holy temple ; she never comes 


74 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


out into the world, so they cannot meet each other 
again, — and I am always with him, see him daily ; 
I will love him, and devote my whole life to him.” 

44 So the Prince is going to be married to the beau- 
tiful daughter of the neighbouring king,” said the 
courtiers ; 44 that is why he is having that splendid 
ship fitted out. It is announced that he wishes to 
travel, but in reality he goes to see the Princess ; a 
numerous retinue will follow him.” The little Mer- 
maiden smiled at these and similar conjectures, for 
she knew the Prince’s intentions better than any 
one else. 

“ I must go,” he said to her ; “ I must see the 
beautiful Princess ; my parents require me to do 
so ; but they will not compel me to marry her, and 
bring her home as my bride. And it is quite impos- 
sible for me to love her, for she cannot be so like the 
beautiful girl in the temple as thou art ; and if I 
were obliged to choose, I should prefer thee, my 
little silent foundling, with the speaking eyes.” 
And he kissed her rosy lips, played with her locks, 
and folded her in his arms, whereupon arose in 
her heart a sweet vision of human happiness and 
immortal bliss. 

44 Thou art not afraid of the sea, art thou, my 
sweet, silent child?” asked he, tenderly, as they 
stood together in the splendid ship which was to 


THE LITTLE MERMAID 


75 


take them to the country of the neighbouring king. 
And then he told her of the storms that sometimes 
agitate the waters, of the strange fishes that inhabit 
the deep, and of the wonderful things seen by divers. 
But she smiled at his words, for she knew better 
than any child of earth what went on in the depths 
of the ocean. 

At night time, when the moon shone brightly, and 
when all on board were fast asleep, she sat in the 
ship’s gallery, looking down into the sea. It seemed 
to her, as she gazed through the foamy track made 
by the ship’s keel, that she saw her father’s palace 
and her grandmother’s silver crown. She then saw 
her sisters rise out of the water, looking sorrowful 
and stretching out their hands towards her. She 
nodded to them, smiled, and would have explained 
that everything was going on quite according to her 
wishes ; but just then the cabin boy approached, 
upon which the sisters plunged beneath the water so 
suddenly that the boy thought what he had seen on 
the waves was nothing but foam. 

The next morning the ship entered the harbour 
of the King’s splendid capital. Bells were rung, 
trumpets sounded, and soldiers marched in proces- 
sion through the city, with waving banners and glit- 
tering bayonets. Every day witnessed some new 
entertainment ; balls and parties followed each other ; 


76 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


the Princess, however, was not yet in the town ; she 
had been sent to a distant convent for education, there 
to be taught the practice of all royal virtues. At last 
she arrived at the palace. 

The little Mermaid had been anxious to see this 
unparalleled Princess ; and she was now obliged to 
confess that she had never before seen so beautiful a 
creature. 

The skin of the Princess was so white and deli- 
cate that the veins might be seen through it, and her 
dark eyes sparkled beneath a pair of finely formed 
eyebrows. 

“ It is herself ! ” exclaimed the Prince, when they 
met ; “ it is she who saved my life, when I lay like a 
corpse on the seashore ! ” and he pressed his blushing 
bride to his beating heart. 

“ Oh, I am all too happy ! ” said he to his dumb 
foundling ; “ what I never dared to hope for has come 
to pass. Thou must rejoice in my happiness, for thou 
lovest me more than all others who surround me.” — 
And the little Mermaid kissed his hand in silent sor- 
row ; it seemed to her as if her heart was breaking 
already, although the morrow of his marriage day, 
which must inevitably see her death, had not yet 
dawned. 

Again rung the church bells, whilst heralds rode 
through the streets of the capital, to announce the 


THE LITTLE MERMAID 


77 


approaching bridal. Odorous flames burned in sil- 
ver candlesticks on all the altars ; the priests swung 
their golden censers, and bride and bridegroom joined 
hands, whilst the holy words that united them were 
spoken. The little Mermaid, clad in silk and cloth 
of gold, stood behind the Princess, and held the train 
of the bridal dress ; but her ear heard nothing of the 
solemn music; her eye saw not the holy ceremony ; 
she remembered her approaching end ; she remem- 
bered that she had lost both this world and the next. 

That very same evening, bride and bridegroom 
went on board the ship ; cannons were fired, flags 
waved with the breeze, and in the centre of the deck 
was raised a magnificent pavilion of purple and cloth 
of gold, fitted up with the richest and softest couches. 
Here the princely pair were to spend the night. A 
favourable wind swelled the sails, and the ship glided 
lightly over the blue waters. 

As soon as it was dark, coloured lamps were hung 
out, and dancing began on the deck. The little Mer- 
maid was thus involuntarily reminded of what she had 
seen tke first time she rose to the upper world. The 
.spectacle that now presented itself was equally splen- 
did — and she was obliged to join in the dance, hov- 
ering lightly as a bird over the ship boards. All 
applauded her, for never had she danced with more 
enchanting grace. Her little feet suffered extremely, 


78 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


but she no longer felt the pain ; the anguish her heart 
suffered was much greater. It was the last evening 
she might see him for whose sake she had forsaken 
her home and family, had given away her beautiful 
voice, and suffered daily the most violent pain — all 
without his having the least suspicion of it. It was 
the last evening that she might breathe the same 
atmosphere in which he, the beloved one, lived, — 
the last evening when she might behold the deep 
blue sea and the starry heavens — an eternal night, 
in which she might neither think nor dream, awaited 
her. And all was joy in the ship ; and she, her heart 
filled with thoughts of death and annihilation, smiled 
and danced with the others till past midnight. Then 
the Prince kissed his lovely bride, and arm in arm 
they entered the magnificent tent prepared for their 
repose. 

All was now still; the steersman alone stcod at 
the ship’s helm. The little Mermaid leaned her 
white arms on the gallery, and looked towards the 
east, watching for the dawn ; she well knew that the 
first sunbeam would witness her dissolution. She 
saw her sisters rise out of the sea ; deadly pale were 
their features; and their long hair no more fluttered 
over their shoulders — it had all been cut off. 

“We have given it to the witch,” said they, “to 
induce her to help thee, so that thou mayest not die. 


THE LITTLE MERMAID 


79 


! She has given to us a penknife — here it is ! Before 
the sun rises, thou must plunge it into the Prince’s 
heart ; and when his warm blood trickles down upon 
thy feet, they will again be changed to a fish-like 
tail; thou wilt once more become a mermaid, and 
f wilt live thy full three hundred years, ere thou 
K changest to foam on the sea. But hasten ! either 
E he or thou must die before sunrise. Our aged 
. mother mourns for thee so much, her grey hair has 
l fallen off through sorrow, as ours fell before the 
I scissors of the witch. Kill the Prince, and come 
down to us ! Hasten ! hasten ! dost thou not see 
[ the red streaks on the eastern sky, announcing the 
; near approach of the sun? A few minutes more 
and he rises, and then all will be over with thee.” 
j At these words they sighed deeply and vanished. 

The little Mermaid drew aside the purple curtains 
of the pavilion, where lay the bride and bridegroom ; 
[' bending over them, she kissed the Prince’s forehead, 
and then glancing at the sky, she saw that the dawn- 
. ing light became every moment brighter. The Prince’s 
lips unconsciously murmured the name of his bride — 
he was dreaming of her, and her only, whilst the fatal 
\ penknife trembled in the hand of the unhappy Mer- 
maid. All at once, she threw far out into the sea 
that instrument of death ; the waves rose like bright 
blazing flames around, and the water where it fell 


80 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


seemed tinged with blood. With eyes fast becoming 
dim and fixed, she looked once more at her beloved 
Prince, then plunged from the ship into the sea, and 
felt her body slowly but surely dissolving into foam. 

The sun rose from his watery bed ; his beams fell 
so softly and warmly upon her, that our little Mer- 
maid was scarcely sensible of dying. She still saw 
the glorious sun ; and over her head hovered a thou- 
sand beautiful, transparent forms, — so transparent 
were they, that through them she could distinguish 
the white sails of the ship, and the bright red clouds 
in the sky ; the voices of these airy creatures had a 
melody so sweet and soothing, that a human ear 
would be as little able to catch the sound as the eye 
to discern their forms ; they hovered around her with- 
out wings, borne by their own lightness through the 
air. The little Mermaid at last saw that she had a 
body transparent as theirs, and felt herself raised 
gradually from the foam of the sea to higher regions. 

“ Where are they taking me? ” asked she, and her 
accents sounded just like the voices of those heavenly 
beings. 

“ Speak you to the daughters of air?” was the 
answer. “ The mermaid has no immortal soul, and 
can only acquire that heavenly gift by winning the 
love of one of the sons of men ; her immortality de- 
pends upon union with man. Neither do the daugh- 


THE LITTLE MERMAID 


81 


ters of air possess immortal souls, but they can acquire 
them by their own good deeds. We fly to hot coun- 
tries, where the children of earth are wasting away 
under sultry pestilential breezes — our fresh, cooling 
breath revives them. We diffuse ourselves through 
the atmosphere ; we perfume it with the delicious 
fragrance of flowers ; and thus spread delight and 
health over the earth. By doing good in this man- 
ner, for three hundred years, we win immortality, 
and receive a share of the eternal bliss of human 
beings. And thou, poor little Mermaid ! who, fol- 
lowing the impulse of thine own heart, hast done and 
suffered so much, thou art now raised to the airy 
world of spirits, that by performing deeds of kind- 
ness for three hundred years, thou mayest acquire an 
immortal soul.” 

The little Mermaid stretched out her transparent 
arms to the sun, and, for the first time in her life, 
tears moistened her eyes. 

And now again all were awake and rejoicing in the 
ship ; she saw the Prince, with his pretty bride ; 
they had missed her ; they looked scornfully down 
on the foamy waters, as if they knew she had plunged 
into the sea : unseen, she kissed the bridegroom’s 
forehead, smiled upon him, and then, with the rest 
of the children of air, soared high above the rosy 
cloud which was sailing so peacefully over the ship. 


82 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


“After three hundred years we shall fly in the 
kingdom of heaven ! ” 

“We may arrive there even sooner,” whispered one 
of her sisters. “ We fly invisibly through the dwell- 
ings of men, where there are children ; and when- 
ever we find a good child, who gives pleasure to his 
parents and deserves their love, the good God 
shortens our time of probation. No child is aware 
that we are flitting about his room ; and that when- 
ever joy draws from us a smile, a year is struck 
out of our three hundred. But when we see a rude, 
naughty child, we weep bitter tears of sorrow, and 
every tear we shed adds a day to our time of proba- 
tion.” 


i 


LITTLE IDA’S FLOWERS 


“ My poor flowers are quite faded ! ” said little Ida. 
44 Only yesterday evening they were so pretty, and 
now they are all drooping ! What can be the reason 
of it?” asked she of the Student, who was sitting on 
the sofa, and who was a great favourite with her, be- 
cause he used to tell her stories, and cut out all sorts 
of pretty things for her in paper ; such as hearts with 
little ladies dancing in them, high castles with open 
doors, etc. 44 Why do these flowers look so deplor- 
able?” asked she again, showing him a bouquet of 
faded flowers. 

“ Do you not know ? ” replied the Student. 44 Your 
flowers went to a ball last night, and are tired ; that 
is why they all hang their heads.” 

44 Surely flowers cannot dance ! ” exclaimed little 

Ida. 

44 Of' course they can dance! When it is dark, 
and we are all gone to bed, they jump about as 
merrily as possible. They have a ball almost every 
night.” 

44 May their children go to the ball, too?” asked 
Ida. 


83 


84 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


“ Yes,” said the Student; “little daisies, and lilies 
of the valley.” 

“ And where do the prettiest flowers dance ? ” 

“ Have you never been in the large garden in front 
of the King’s beautiful summer palace, the garden 
so full of flowers ? Surely you recollect the swans 
which come swimming up to you, when you throw 
them crumbs of bread? There you may imagine 
they have splendid balls.” 

“ I was there yesterday with my mother,” said Ida, 
“ but there were no leaves on the trees, neither did 
I see a single flower. What could have become of 
them ? There were so many in the summer time ! ” 

“ They are now at the palace,” answered the Stu- 
dent. “ As soon as the King leaves his summer resi- 
dence, and returns with all his court to the town, the 
flowers likewise hasten out of the garden and into 
the palace, where they enjoy themselves famously. 
Oh, if you could but see them !* The two loveliest 
roses sit on the throne, and act King and Queen. 
The red cockscombs then arrange themselves in rows 
before them, bowing very low ; they are the gentle- 
men of the bedchamber. After that the prettiest 
among the flowers come in, and open the ball. The 
blue violets represent midshipmen, and begin dancing 
with the hyacinths and crocuses, who take the part 
of young ladies. The tulips and the tall orange 


LITTLE IDA’S FLOWERS 


85 


lilies are old dowagers, whose business it is to see 
that everything goes on with perfect propriety.” 

“ But,” asked the astonished little Ida, “may the 
flowers give their ball in the King’s palace ? ” 

“No one knows anything about it,” replied the 
Student. “ Perhaps once during the night the old 
Castellan may come in, with his. great bunch of keys, 
to see that all is right ; but as soon as the flowers 
hear the clanking of the keys they are quite still, and 
hide themselves behind the long silk window cur- 
tains. 4 1 smell flowers here,’ says the old Castellan, 
but he is not able to find them.” 

“ That is very funny,” said Ida, clapping her little 
hands ; “ but could not I see the flowers ? ” 

“To be sure you can see them !” returned the 
Student. “ You have only to peep in at the window 
next time you go to the palace. I did so to-day, and 
saw a long yellow lily lying on the sofa. That was 
a court lady.” 

“ Can the flowers in the Botanic Garden go there, 
too ? Can they go so far ? ” asked Ida. 

“ Certainly, for flowers can fly if they wish it. 
The pretty red and yellow butterflies, that look so 
much like flowers, are in fact nothing else. They 
jump from their stalks, move their petals as if they 
were little wings, and fly about; as a reward for 
always behaving themselves well, they are allowed, 


86 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


instead of sitting quietly on their stalks, to flutter 
hither and thither all day long, till wings actually 
grow out of their petals. You have often seen it 
yourself. For the rest, it may be that the flowers 
in the Botanic Garden have not heard what merry- 
making goes on every night at the palace ; but I 
assure you, if next time you go into the garden, you 
whisper to one of the flowers, that a ball is to be 
given at night at Fredericksberg, the news will be 
repeated from flower to flower, and thither they will 
all fly to a certainty. Then, should the Professor 
come into the garden, and find all his flowers gone, 
he will not be able to imagine what is become of 
them.” 

“ Indeed ! ” said Ida ; “ and, pray, how can the 
flowers repeat to each other what I say to them? 
I am sure that flowers cannot speak.” 

“No, they cannot speak — you are right there,” 
returned the Student ; “ but they make themselves 
understood by pantomime. Have you never seen 
them move to and fro at the least breath of air? 
They can understand each other this way as well as 
we can by talking.” 

“ And does the Professor understand their panto- 
mime?” asked Ida. 

“ Oh, certainly ! One morning he came into the 
garden, and perceived that a tall nettle was convers- 


LITTLE ID FLOWERS 


87 


in g in pantomime with a pretty red carnation. 4 Thou 
art so beautiful,’ said he to the carnation, 4 and I love 
thee so much ! ’ But the Professor could not allow 
such things, so he gave a rap at the nettle’s leaves, 
which are his fingers, and in doing so he stung him- 
self, and since then has never dared to touch a 
nettle.” 

“ Ah, ah ! ” laughed little Ida ; “ that was very 
droll.” 

44 What do you mean by this?” here interrupted 
the tedious Counsellor, who had come on a visit ; 
44 putting such trash into the child’s head ! ” He 
could not endure the Student, and always used to 
iscold when he saw him cutting out pasteboard fig- 
ures ; as for instance, a man on the gallows holding 
a heart in his hand, which was meant for a heart- 
stealer ; or an old witch, riding on a broomstick, 
and carrying her husband on the tip of her nose. 
He used always to say then as now : 44 What do you 
mean by putting such trash into the child’s head? 
It is all fantastical nonsense ! ” 

However, little Ida thought what the Student had 
told her about the flowers was very droll, and she 
could not leave off thinking of it. She was now sure 
that her flowers hung their heads because they were 
tired with dancing so much the night before. So 
she took them to the pretty little table, where her 


88 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


playthings were arranged. Her doll lay sleeping in 
the cradle, but Ida said to her, “You must get up, 
Sophy, and be content to sleep to-night in the table 
drawer, for the poor flowers are ill, and must sleep 
in your bed : perhaps they will be well again by 
to-morrow.” She then took the doll out of the 
bed ; but the good lady looked vexed at having to 
give up her cradle to the flowers. 

Ida then laid the faded flowers in her doll’s bed, 
drew the covering over them, and told them to lie 
quite still, whilst she made some tea for them to 
drink, in order that they might be well again the 
next day. And she drew the curtains round the 
bed, that the sun might not dazzle their eyes. 

All the evening she thought of nothing but the 
Student’s words, and just before she went to bed she 
ran up to the window, where her mother’s tulips and 
hyacinths stood, behind the blinds, and whispered to 
them, “ I know very well that you are going to a 
ball to-night.” But the flowers moved not a leaf, and 
seemed not to have heard her. 

After she was in bed, she thought for a long time 
how delightful it must be to see the flowers dancing 
in the palace, and said to herself, “ I wonder whether 
my flowers have been there?” but before she could 
determine the point, she fell asleep. During the 
night she awoke ; she had been dreaming of the Stu- 


LITTLE IDA'S FLOWERS 


89 


dent and the flowers, and of tho Counsellor, who 
| told her that they were making game of her. All 
l was still in the room, the night lamp was burning on 
r the table, and her father and mother were both asleep. 

“ I wonder whether my flowers are still lying in 
' Sophy’s bed?” said she. “I should very much like 
,4 to know.” She raised herself a little, and looking 
towards the door, which stood, half open, she saw 
that the flowers and all her playthings were just as 
she had left them. She listened, and it seemed to 
her as if some one must be playing on the harpsi- 
chord; but the tones were lower and sweeter than 
she had ever heard before. 

“Now my flowers must certainly be dancing,” 
said she. “ Oh, how I should like to see them ! ” 
but she dared not get up, for fear of waking her 
father and mother. “ If they would only come in 
here ! ” Still the flowers did not come, and the 
music sounded so sweetly. At last she could re- 
strain herself no longer, she must see the dancing. 
So she crept lightly out of the bed, and stole towards 
the door of the room. Oh, what wonderful things 
she saw then ! 

There was no night lamp burning here ; however, 
it was quite light in the room, for the moon shone 
brightly through the windows on the floor. All the 
hyacinths and tulips stood there in two rows, whilst 


90 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


their empty pots plight still be seen in front of the 
windows ; they performed figures, and took hold of 
each other by the long green leaves. At the harpsi- 
chord sat a large yellow lily, which Ida fancied she 
must have seen before, for she remembered the Stu- 
dent’s saying that this flower was exceedingly like 
Miss Laura, and how every one had laughed at his 
remark. Now she herself agreed that the lily did 
resemble this young lady, for she had exactly her 
way of playing, bowing her long yellow face now on 
one side, now on the other, and nodding her head to 
mark the time. A tall blue crocus now stepped for- 
ward, sprang upon the table on which lay Ida’s play- 
things, went straight up to the bed, and drew back 
the curtains. There lay the sick flowers, but they 
rose immediately, and greeted the other flowers, who 
invited them to dance with them. The sick flowers 
appeared quite well again, and danced as merrily as 
the rest. 

Suddenly a heavy noise, as of something falling 
from the table, was heard. Ida cast a glance that 
way, and saw that it was the rod which she had 
found on her bed on the morning of Shrove Tuesday, 
and seemed desirous of ranking itself among the 
flowers. It was certainly a very pretty rod, for a 
wax doll was fixed on the top, wearing a hat as 
broad-brimmed as the Counsellor’s, with a blue and 


LITTLE IDA’S FLOWERS 


91 


red ribbon tied round it. It hopped upon its three 
f red stilts in the middle of the flowers, and stamped 
the floor merrily with its feet. It was dancing the 
r Mazurka, which the flowers could not dance, they 
were too light-footed to stamp. 

All at once, the wax doll on the rod swelled out to 
a giant, tall and broad, and exclaimed in a loud voice: 

‘ “ What do you mean by putting such trash into the 
child’s head? It is all fantastical nonsense ! ” And 
now the doll looked as much like the Counsellor in 
his broad-brimmed hat, as one drop of water re- 
$ sembles another ; her countenance looked as yellow 
I and peevish as his : the paper flowers on the rod, 
jj : however, pinched her thin legs, whereupon she 
shrunk up to her original size. The little Ida 
thought this scene so droll that she could not help 
laughing ; the ball company, however, did not notice 
I" it, and the rod continued to stamp about, till at last 
the doll-counsellor was obliged to dance too, whether 
she would or no, and make herself now thin, now 
thick, now tall, now short, till at last the flowers 
interceded for her, and the rod then left her in peace. 

A loud knocking was now heard from the drawer 
in which lay Ida’s doll. It was Sophy who made the 
noise. She put her head out of the drawer and 
asked, in great astonishment : “ Is there a ball here ? 
why has no one told me of it ?” 


92 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


“ Will you dance with me ? ” asked the nut- 
crackers. 

“ Certainly you are a very fit person to dance with 
me ! ” said Sophy, turning her back upon him. She 
then sat down on the table, expecting that one of the 
flowers would come and ask her to dance, but no one 
came. — She coughed — “hern! hem!” still no one 
came. Meantime the nutcrackers danced by himself, 
and his steps were not at all badly made. 

As no flowers came forward to ask Sophy to dance, 
all at once she let herself fall down upon the floor, 
which excited a general commotion, so that all the 
flowers ran up to ask her whether she had hurt her- 
self. But she had received no injury. The flowers, 
however, were all very polite, especially Ida’s flowers, 
who took the opportunity of thanking her for the 
comfortable bed in which they had slept so quietly, 
and then seized her hands to dance with her, whilst 
all the other flowers stood in a circle round them. 
Sophy was now quite happy, and begged Ida’s flowers 
to make use of her bed again after the ball, as she did 
not at all mind sleeping one night in the table drawer. 

But the flowers said, “ We owe you many thanks 
for your kindness, we shall not live long enough to 
n^ed it ; we shall be quite dead by to-morrow; but 
request the little Ida to bury us in the garden near 
her canary bird, then we shall grow again next sum- 


LITTLE IDA’S FLOWERS 


93 


mer, and be even more beautiful than we have been 
this year.” 

“ No, you must not die ! ” replied Sophy warmly, 
as she kissed the flowers. Just then the door was 
suddenly opened, and a number of flowers danced 
into the room. Ida could not conceive where these 
flowers came from, unless from the King’s garden. 
First of all entered two beautiful roses wearing 
golden crowns, then followed stocks and pinks, bow- 
ing to the company on all sides. They had also a 
band of music with them ; great poppies and peonies 
blew upon pea-shells till they were quite red in the 
face, whilst blue and white campanulas rang a merry 
peal of bells. These were followed by an immense 
number of different flowers, all dancing ; violets, 
daisies, lilies of the valley, narcissuses, and others, 
who all moved so gracefully, that it was delightful 
to see them. 

At last, these happy flowers wished one another 
“good night”; so little Ida once more crept into 
bed to dream of all the beautiful things she had seen. 

The next morning, as soon as she was up and 
dressed, she went to her little table to see if her 
flowers were there. She drew aside the bed curtains 
— yes ! there lay the flowers, but they were to-day 
much more faded than yesterday; Sophy too was lying 
in the drawer, but she looked uncommonly sleepy. 


94 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


“ Can yon not remember what you have to say to 
me ? ” asked little Ida of her ; but Sophy made a. 
most stupid face, and answered not a syllable. 

“You are not at all good ! ” said Ida ; “and yet 
all the flowers let you dance with them.” She then 
chose out from her playthings a little pasteboard box 
with birds painted on it, and therein she placed the 
faded flowers. “ That shall be your coffin,” said she, 
“and when my Norwegian cousins come to see me, 
they shall go with me to bury you in the garden, in 
order that next summer you may bloom again, and 
be still more beautiful than you have been this 
year.” 

The two Norwegian cousins, of whom she spoke, 
were two lively boys, called Jonas and Adolph. 
Their father had given them two new crossbows, 
which they brought with them to show to Ida. She 
told them of the poor flowers that were dead, and 
were to be buried in the garden. The two boys 
walked in front with their bows slung across their 
shoulders, and little Ida followed carrying the dead 
flowers in their pretty coffin. A grave was dug for 
them in the garden. Ida kissed the flowers once 
more, then laid the box down in the hollow, and 
Jonas and Adolph shot arrows over the grave with 
their crossbows, for they had neither guns nor 
cannon. 


THE SWINEHERD 




There was once a poor Prince, who had a king- 
dom ; his kingdom was very small, but still quite 
large enough to marry upon ; and he wished to 
marry. 

It was certainly rather cool of him to say to the 
Emperor’s daughter, “ Will you have me ? ” But so 
he did ; for his name was renowned far and wide ; 
and there were a hundred Princesses who would have 
answered “Yes!” and “Thank you kindly.” We 
shall see what this Princess said. Listen ! 

It happened, that where the Prince’s father lay 
buried there grew a rose tree — a most beautiful 
rose tree, which blossomed only once in every five 
years, and even then bore only one flower, but that 
was a rose I It smelt so sweet that all cares and 
sorrows were forgotten by him who inhaled its 
fragrance. 

And furthermore, the Prince had a nightingale, 
who could sing in such a manner that it seemed as 
though all sweet melodies dwelt in her little throat. 
So the Princess was to have the rose, and the night- 
95 


96 


ANDERSEN 7 S FAIRY TALES 


ingale ; and they were accordingly put into large 
silver caskets, and sent to her. 

The Emperor had them brought into a large hall, 
where the Princess was playing at 44 Visiting,” with 
the ladies of tlie court ; and when she saw the 
caskets with the presents, she clapped her hands 
for joy. 

“ Ah, if it were but a little pussy cat ! ” exclaimed 
she; but the rose tree, with its beautiful rose, came 
to view. 

“ Oh, how prettily it is made ! ” said all the court 
ladies. 

44 It is more than pretty,” said the Emperor ; “ it 
is charming ! ” 

But the Princess touched it, and was almost ready 
to cry. 

“ Fie, papa ! ” said she, 41 it is not made at all, it is 
natural ! ” 

44 Fie ! ” cried all the courtiers, 44 it is natural ! ” 

44 Let us see what is in the other casket, before we 
get into a bad humour,” proposed the Emperor. So 
the nightingale came forth, and sang so delightfully 
that at first no one could say anything ill-humoured 
of her. 

44 Superbe ! charmant ! ” exclaimed the ladies ; for 
they all used to chatter French, each one worse than 
her neighbour. 


THE SWINEHERD 


97 


“ How much the bird reminds me of the musical 
box, that belonged to our blessed Empress ! ” re- 
marked an old Knight. “ Oh, yes ! these are the 
same tones, the same execution.” 

“Yes ! yes ! ” said the Emperor, and he wept like 
a child at the remembrance. 

“ I will still hope that it is not a real bird,” said 
the Princess. 

“ Yet it is a real bird,” said those who had brought 
it. “Well, then let the bird fly,” returned the 
Princess ; and she positively refused to see the 
Prince. 

However, he was not to be discouraged ; he daubed 
his face over brown and black ; pulled his cap over 
his ears, and knocked at the door. 

“ Good day to my lord the Emperor ! ” said he. 
“ Can I have employment at the palace ? ” 

“ Why, yes,” said the Emperor ; “ I want some 
one to take care of the pigs, for we have a great 
many of them.” 

So the Prince was appointed “ Imperial Swine- 
herd.” He had a dirty little room close by the 
pigsty; and there he sat the whole day, and worked. 
By the evening, he had made a pretty little sauce- 
pan. Little bells were hung all round it ; and when 
the pot was boiling, these bells tinkled in the most 
charming manner, and played the old melody : — 

H 


98 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


“ Ach° ! du lieber Augustin, 

Alles ist weg, w eg, weg ! ” 

But wliat was still more curious, whoever held his 
finger in the smoke of this saucepan, immediately 
smelt all the dishes that were cooking on every 
hearth in the city : this, you see, was something 
quite different from the rose. 

Now the Princess happened to walk that way ; 
and when she heard the tune, she stood quite still, 
and seemed pleased ; for she could play “ Lieber 
Augustin ” ; it was the only piece she knew, and 
she played it with one finger. 

“Why, there is my piece!” said the Princess; 
“ that swineherd must certainly have been well edu- 
cated ! Go in and ask him the price of the instru- 
ment.” 

So one of the court ladies must run in ; however, 
she drew on wooden slippers first. 

“ What will you take for the saucepan ? ” inquired 
the lady. 

“ I will have ten kisses from the Princess,” said 
the swineherd. 

“ Yes, indeed ! ” said the lady. 

“ I cannot sell it for less,” rejoined the swineherd. 

“ Well, what does he say ? ” asked the Princess. 

“ I cannot tell you, really,” replied the lady ; “ it 
is too bad ! ” 


THE SWINEHERD 


99 


“ Then you can whisper it ! ” So the lady whis- 
pered it. 

“ He is an impudent fellow ! ” said the Princess, 
and she walked on ; but when she had gone a little 
way, the hells tinkled so prettily : — 

“ Ach ! du lieber Augustin, 

Alles ist w eg, weg, w eg ! ’ 

“ Stay,” said the Princess. “ Ask him if he will 
have ten kisses from the ladies of my court.” 

“ No, thank you ! ” answered the swineherd : “ ten 
kisses from the Princess, or I keep the saucepan 
myself.” 

“ That must not be either ! ” said the Princess ; 
“ but do you all stand before me, that no one may 
see us.” 

And the court ladies placed themselves in front 
of her, and spread out their dresses ; the swineherd 
got ten kisses, and the Princess — the saucepan. 

That was delightful ! the saucepan was kept boil- 
ing all the evening, and the whole of the following 
day. They knew perfectly well what was cooking 
.at every fire throughout the city, from the chamber- 
lain’s to the cobbler’s ; the court ladies danced, and 
clapped their hands. 

“We know who has soup and who has pancakes 
for dinner to-day, who has cutlets and who has 
eggs. How interesting ! ” 

L. of 0. 


100 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


“ Yes, but keep my secret, for I am an Emperor’s 
daughter.” 

The swineherd — that is to say the Prince, for no 
one knew that he was other than an ill-favoured 
swineherd — let not a day pass without working 
at something ; he at last constructed a rattle, which, 
when it was swung round, played all the waltzes 
and jig tunes which have ever been heard since the 
creation of the world. 

Ah, that is superbe ! ” said the Princess when 
she passed by ; “I have never heard prettier com- 
positions ! Go in and ask him the price of the in- 
strument ; but mind, he shall have no more kisses ! ” 

“ He will have a hundred kisses from the Prin- 
cess ! ” said the lady who had been to ask. 

“ I think he is not in his right senses ! ” replied 
the Princess, and walked on ; but when she had 
gone a little way, she stopped again. “ One must 
encourage art,” said she ; “ I am the Emperor’s 
daughter. Tell him, he shall, as on yesterday, 
have ten kisses from me, and may take the rest from 
the ladies of the court.” 

“ Oh ! — but we should not like that at all ! ” said 
they. “ What are you muttering ? ” asked the 
Princess ; “ if I can kiss him, surely you can ! Re- 
member that you owe everything to me.” So the 
ladies were obliged to go to him again. 


THE SWINEHERD 


101 


“ A hundred kisses from the Princess ! ” said he, 
“ or else let every one keep his own.” 

“ Stand round ! ” said she ; and all the ladies 
stood round her whilst the kissing was going 
on. 

“ What can be the reason for such a crowd close 
by the pigsty ? ” said the Emperor, who happened 
just then to step out on the balcony ; he rubbed his 
eyes and put on his spectacles. “ They are the 
ladies of the court ; I must go down and see what 
they are about ! ” So he pulled up his slippers 
at the heel, for he had trodden them down. 

As soon as he had got into the courtyard, he 
moved very softly, and the ladies were so much 
engrossed with counting the kisses, that all might 
go on fairly, that they did not perceive the Emperor. 
He rose on his tiptoes. 

“ What is all this ? ” said he, when he saw what 
was going on, and he boxed the Princess’s ears with 
his slipper, just as the swineherd was taking the 
eighty-sixth kiss. 

“ March out ! ” cried the Emperor, for he was 
very angry ; and both Princess and swineherd were 
thrust out of the city. 

The Princess now stood and wept, the swineherd 
scolded, and the rain poured down. 

“ Alas ! unhappy creature that I am ! ” said the 


102 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


Princess. “ If I had bui married the handsome 
young Prince ! Ah ! how unfortunate I am ! ” 
And the swineherd went behind a tree, washed 
the black and brown colour from his face, threw off 
his dirty clothes, and stepped forth in his princely 
robes ; he looked so noble that the Princess could 
not help bowing before him. 

“ I am come to despise thee/’ said he. “ Thou 
wouldst not have an honourable prince ! thou couldst 
not prize the rose and the nightingale, but thou wast 
ready to kiss the swineherd for the sake of a trump- 
ery plaything. Thou art rightly served.” 

He then went back to his own little kingdom, and 
shut the door of his palace in her face. Now she 
might well sing : — 

“ Ach ! du lieber Augustin, 

Alles ist weg, weg, weg I ,f 


OLE LUOKOIE; OR, THE DUSTMAN 


There is no one in the whole world who knows 
so many stories as Ole Luckoie, the Dustman — 
Oh ! his are delightful stories. 

In the evening, when children are sitting quietly 
at table, or on their little stools, he takes off his 
shoes, comes softly upstairs, opens the door very 
gently, and all on a sudden throws dust into the 
children’s eyes. He then glides behind them, and 
breathes lightly, very lightly, upon their necks, 
whereupon their heads become immediately so heavy ! 
But it does them no harm, for the Dustman means 
it kindly ; he only wants the children to be quiet, 
and they are most quiet when they are in bed. 
They must be quiet, in order that he may tell them 
his stories. 

When the children are asleep, the Dustman sits 
down upon the bed ; he is gaily dressed, his coat is 
of silk, but of what colour it is impossible to say, 
for it seems now green, now red, now blue, according 
to the light. Under each arm he holds an umbrella ; 
one, which has pictures painted on it, he holds over 
103 


104 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


good children, it makes them have the most delight- 
ful dreams all night long ; and the other, which has 
nothing on it, he holds over naughty children, so 
that they sleep heavily, and awake in the morning 
without having dreamed at all. 

Now let us hear what stories the Dustman told to 
a little boy of the name of Hialmar , 0 to whom he came 
every evening for a whole week through. There are 
seven stories all together, for the week has seven days. 

Monday 

“ Listen to me,” said Ole Luckoie, as soon as he 
had got Hialmar into bed. “ Now I will decorate 
your room ; ” and all at once as he was speaking, 
the flowers in the flower-pots grew up into large 
trees, whose long branches extended to the ceiling, 
and along the walls, so that the room looked like a 
beautiful arbour. All these branches were full of 
flowers, and every flower was more beautiful even 
than the rose, and had so pleasant a smell. More- 
over, could you have tasted them you would have 
found them sweeter than preserves. And fruit 
which shone like gold hung from the trees, also 
dumplings full of currants : never was the like seen 
before. But, at the same time, a loud lamentation 
was heard in the table drawer, where Hialmar’s 
school books were kept. 


OLE LUCK OLE; OR, THE DUSTMAN 105 

“What is the matter?” said the Dustman, going 
up to the table, and taking out the drawer. There 
lay the slate, on which the figures were pressing and 
squeezing together, because a wrong figure had got 
into the sum, so that it was near falling to pieces ; 
the pencil hopped and skipped about like a little dog 
— he wanted to help the sum, but he could not. 
And a little farther off lay Hialmar’s copy-book : a 
complaining and moaning came thence also, it was 
quite unpleasant to hear it; at the beginning of 
every line on each page, there stood a large letter 
with a little letter by its side ; this was the copy : 
and after them stood other letters, intended to look 
like the copy. Hialmar had written these ; but they 
seemed to have fallen over the lines, upon which 
they ought to have stood. 

“ Look, this is the way you must hold yourselves,” 
said the copy; “look slanting — just so, and turning 
round with a jerk.” 

“ Oh ! we would do so willingly,” said Hialmar’s 
letters ; “ but we cannot, we are so badly made ! ” 

“ Then you shall have some of the children’s 
powders,” said the Dustman. 

“ Oh, no ! ” cried they, and stood so straight that 
it was a pleasure to see them. 

“Well, I cannot tell you any more stories now,” 
said the Dustman ; “ I must drill these letters : 


106 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


right, left — right, left ! ” So he drilled the letters 
till they looked as straight and perfect as only the 
letters in a copy can be. However, after the Dust- 
man had gone away, and when Hialmar looked at 
them the next morning, they were as miserable and 
badly formed as before. 

Tuesday 

As soon as Hialmar was in bed, the Dustman 
touched with his little magic wand all the pieces of 
furniture in the room ; whereupon they all began to 
talk ; and they all talked about themselves, except- 
ing the spittoon, who stood quite still, and was much 
vexed at their being so vain, all talking about them- 
selves without ever thinking of him who stood so 
modestly in the corner, and suffered himself to be 
spat upon. 

Over the wardrobe there hung a large picture in 
a gilt frame, it was a landscape : there you might see 
tall trees, flowers blossoming in the grass, and a river 
that wound itself round the wood, passing many a 
grand old castle on its way to the sea. 

The Dustman touched the picture with his magic 
wand ; and immediately the birds began to sing, the 
boughs of the trees waved to and fro, and the clouds 
actually flew ; one could see their shadows flit over 
the landscape. 


OLE LUCKOIE; OR, THE DUSTMAN 


107 


The Dustman then lifted little Hialmar up to the 
frame, and Hialmar put his legs into the picture : 
there he stood amid the tall grass. He ran to the 
water’s edge, and sat down in a little boat, painted 
red and white, with sails glittering like silver ; six 
swans, with golden wreaths round their necks, and 
bright blue stars upon their heads, drew the boat 
along, near a green wood, where the trees were tell- 
ing stories about robbers and witches, and the flowers 
were talking of the pretty little fairies, and of what 
the butterflies had said to them. 

Most beautiful fishes, with scales like gold and sil- 
ver, swam behind the boat, every now and then leap- 
ing up, so that the water was splashed over Hialmar’s 
head ; birds red and blue, great and small, flew after 
him in two long rows; the gnats danced, and the 
cockchafers said, “Boom, boom.” They all wished 
to accompany Hialmar, and every one of them had a 
story to tell. 

A pleasant voyage was that ! The woods were 
now thick and gloomy, now like beautiful garden's 
beaming with flowers and sunshine. Large palaces 
built of glass or marble rose from among the trees ; 
young princesses stood in the balconies — these were 
all little girls whom Hialmar knew well, and with 
whom he had often played. They stretched out 
their hands to him, each holding a pretty little 


108 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


image made of sugar, such as are seen in confec- 
tioners’ shops. Hialmar seized the end of one of 
these little images as he sailed by,# and a prin- 
cess kept hold of the other, so each got half, the 
princess the smaller, Hialmar the larger. At every 
castle little princes were keeping guard ; they shoul- 
dered their golden scimetars, and showered down 
raisins and tin soldiers — these were real princes ! 
Hialmar sailed sometimes through woods, some- 
times through large halls, or the middle of a town. 
Among others, he passed through the town where 
his nurse lived — she who had brought him up from 
his infancy, and who loved him so much. She 
nodded and beckoned to him as he passed by, and 
sang the pretty verses she had herself composed 
and sent to him : — 

“ How many, many hours I think on thee, 

My own dear Hialmar, still my pride and joy ! 

How have I hung delighted over thee, 

Kissing thy rosy cheeks, my darling boy ! 

“ Thy first low accents it was mine to hear, 

To-day my farewell words to thee shall fly. 

Oh ! may the Lord thy shield be ever near, 

And fit thee for a mansion in the sky ! ” 

And all the birds sang with her, the flowers danced 
upon their stalks, and the old trees nodded their 
heads, whilst the Dustman told stories to them also. 


OLE LUCKOIE; OR, THE DUSTMAN 


109 


Wednesday 

Oh, how the rain was pouring down ! Hialmar 
could hear it even in his sleep, and when the Dust- 
man opened the window the water came in upon the 
ledge ; there was quite a lake in front of the house, 
and on it a splendid ship. 

“ Will you sail with me, little Hialmar? ” said the 
Dustman ; “ if you will, you shall visit foreign lands 
to-night, and be here again by the morning. ” 

And now Hialmar, dressed in his Sunday clothes, 
was in the ship ; the weather immediately cleared up, 
and they floated down the street, cruised round the 
church, and were soon sailing upon the wide sea. 

f They quickly lost sight of land, and could see only 
a number of storks, who had all come from Hialmar’s 
country, and were going to a warmer one. The 
storks were flying one after another, and were already 
very far from land. One of them, however, was so 
weary, that his wings could scarcely bear him up 
any longer ; he was last in the train, and was soon 
far behind the others; he sank lower and lower, 
with his wings outspread; he still endeavoured to 
move them, but in vain ; his wings touched the ship’s 
cordage, he slid down the sail, and — bounce ! there 
he stood on the deck. 


110 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


So the cabin boy put him into the place where the 
hens, ducks, and turkeys were kept; the poor Stork 
stood amongst them quite confounded. 

44 Only look, what a foolish fellow ! ” said all the 
Hens. And the Turkeycock made himself as big as 
he could, and asked him who he was ; and the Ducks 
waddled backwards and pushed each other, crying, 
44 Quack, quack ! ” 

The Stork then told them about his warm Africa, 
about the pyramids, and about the ostrich, who races 
through the desert like a wild horse ; but the Ducks 
did not understand him, and again pushed each other, 
saying, 44 Do not we all agree in thinking him very 
stupid ? ” 

44 Yes, indeed, he is stupid ! ” said the Turkeycock, 
and began to gobble. 

So the Stork was silent, and thought of his Africa. 
44 You have really very pretty slender legs ! ” said 
the Turkeycock. 44 What did they cost you per 
yard? ” 

44 Quack, quack, quack ! ” all the Ducks began to 
titter ; but the Stork seemed not to have heard the 
question. 

44 You might just as well have laughed with them,” 
said the Turkeycock to him, 44 for it was a capital 
joke ! But perhaps it was not high enough for you? 
Ah ! ah ! he has very grand ideas ; let us go on 


OLE LUCKOIE; OR, THE DUSTMAN 


111 


amusing ourselves.” And then he gobbled, the 
Hens cackled, and the Ducks quacked ; they made a 
horrid noise with their amusements. 

But Hialmar went to the hen-house, opened the 
door, and called the Stork, who immediately jumped 
on deck ; he had now rested himself sufficiently, and 
bowed his head to Hialmar, as if to thank him. He 
then spread his wings and flew away — - whilst the 
Hens cackled, the Ducks quacked, and the Turkey- 
cock turned red as fire. 

u To-morrow, we will have you all made into 
soup!” said Hialmar; whereupon he awoke, and 
found himself in his own little bed. A strange 
journey had the Dustman taken him that night ! 

Thursday 

“ I’ll tell you what ! ” said the Dustman, “ do not 
be afraid, and you shall see a little mouse ! ” and he 
held out his hand, with the pretty little animal in it. 
“ She is come to invite you to a wedding ; there are 
two little mice here, who intend this very night to 
enter into matrimony. They live under the floor 
of the dining room ; theirs must be such a pretty 
house ! ” 

“But how can I get through the little hole?” 
asked Hialmar. “ Let me take care of that,” said 
the Dustman. “ I will make you very little ! ” and 


112 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


he touched Hialmar with his magic wand, and he 
became smaller and smaller, till at last he was no 
larger than his own fingers. “ Now you can borrow 
the tin soldier’s clothes; I think they will just fit you; 
and it looks so grand to wear uniform when you are 
in company. ” 

“Ah, yes!” said Hialmar, and in another moment 
he was dressed like the prettiest little tin soldier. 

“ Will you have the goodness to sit down in your 
mother’s thimble? ” said the little Mouse. “ In that 
case, I shall feel honoured by drawing you.” 

“ What ! will you really take so much trouble ? ” 
said Hialmar ; and away they went to the Mouse’s 
wedding. 

They first came to a long passage, under the floor, 
which was high enough for the thimble to be drawn 
along through it, and was illuminated with lighted 
tinder throughout. 

“ Is there not a pleasant smell here ! ” said the 
Mouse who was drawing the thimble. “ The whole 
passage is covered with rind of bacon ; there is 
nothing more delightful ! ” 

They now entered the bridal apartment ; the lady 
Mice stood on the right-hand side, whispering to- 
gether, seemingly very merry ; on the left side stood 
the gentlemen Mice, who were all stroking their 
whiskers with their paws. In the middle of the 


OLE LUCKOIE; OR, THE DUSTMAN 113 

room the bride and bridegroom were seen, standing 
in the scooped-out rind of a cheese, and kissing each 
other incessantly, before the eyes of all present. 
They were already betrothed, and were to be mar- 
ried immediately. Strangers were arriving every 
moment ; the Mice almost trod each other to death; 
and the bridal pair had placed themselves just in 
the centre of the doorway, so that one could neither 
get out nor in. The whole room was, like the pas- 
sage, covered with the rind of bacon ; this was all 
the entertainment given ; for dessert, however, a pea 
was exhibited, in which a little Mouse belonging to 
the family had bitten the initials of the married 
couple. Was not this an exquisite idea? 

All the Mice agreed that the wedding had been ex- 
tremely genteel, and the conversation delightful. 

So now Hialmar returned home ; he had certainly 
been in most distinguished company ; but still, he 
felt as though he had rather lowered himself, by be- 
coming so small, and wearing the uniform of one of 
his own tin soldiers. 


Friday 

“ It is incredible what a number of old people there 
are always wanting to have me with them,” said the 
Dustman, “ especially those who have done anything 
wicked. 4 Dear, good Dustman,’ they say to me, 


114 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


4 we cannot sleep a wink all night ; we lie awake, 
and see all our bad deeds sitting on the edge of the 
bed, like little ugly goblins, and sprinkling scalding 
water over us. If you would but come and drive 
them away, so that we could have a little sleep,’ and 
then they sigh so deeply, 4 we will be sure to pay you 
well, — good night, Dustman, the money is lying at 
the window.’ But I do not come for money,” added 
Ole Luckoie. 

44 What are we to do to-night ? ” asked Hialmar. 

44 Why, I do not know whether you would like to 
go again to a wedding ? The one of which I am 
now speaking is quite of another kind from yester- 
day’s. Your sister’s great doll, that looks like a 
man, and is called Herman, is going to marry the 
doll Bertha ; moreover, it is a birthday ; so they will 
doubtless receive a great many presents.” 

44 Oh, yes ! I know that already,” said Hialmar ; 
44 whenever the dolls want new clothes, my sister 
calls it either their birthday or their wedding-day. 
They must certainly have been married a hundred 
times already.” 

44 Yes, but to-night they will be married for the 
hundred-and-first time ; and when it has come to 
that number, they can never be married again. So 
this time the wedding will be splendid ! Only 
look 1 ” 


OLE LUCKOIE; OR, THE DUSTMAN 115 

And Hialmar looked upon the table, where stood 
the little doll’s house ; the windows were lighted up, 
and tin soldiers presented arms at the door. The 
bride and bridegroom were sitting on the ground, 
and leaning against the leg of the table ; they seemed 
very thoughtful, — there was, perhaps, good reason 
for being so. But the Dustman had, meanwhile, put 
on his grandmother’s black gown, and married them. 
When the ceremony was oyer, all the Furniture in 
the room began singing the following pretty song, 
which had been written by the Lead-pencil : — 

“ Waft, gentle breeze, onr kind farewell 
To the tiny house where the bridefolks dwell, 

With their skin of kid-leather fitting so well ; 

They are straight and upright as a tailor’s ell. 
Hurrah, hurrah for beau and belle ! 

Let echo repeat our kind farewell ! ” 

And now presents were brought to them ; all eat- 
ables, however, they declined accepting : love was 
enough for them to live upon. 

“ Shall we go into the country, or make a tour in 
some foreign land ? ” asked the bridegroom. So the 
Swallow, who had travelled a good deal, and the old 
Hen, who had hatched five broods of chickens, were 
consulted. And the Swallow spoke of those beauti- 
ful, warm countries, where bunches of grapes, large 
and heavy, hang on the vines ; where the air is so 


116 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


balmy, and the mountains are tinged with various 
hues, such as are never known here. 

“ But then they have not our green cabbages ! ” 
said the Hen. “ One summer, I and all my chickens 
lived in the country ; there was a gravel pit, in 
which we might go and scrape about ; besides, we 
had access to a garden full of green cabbages. Oh, 
how green they were ! I cannot imagine anything 
more beautiful ! ” 

“ But one head of cabbage looks exactly like an- 
other,” said the Swallow ; “ and then we so often 
have wet weather here ! ” 

“ One gets accustomed to that,” said the Hen. 

“ But it is so cold, it freezes ! ” 

“ That is good for the cabbages,” said the Hen ; 
“ besides which it can be warm sometimes. Did we 
not, four years ago, have a summer which lasted five 
weeks ? It was so hot, that one could hardly breathe. 
Then, too, we have not all the poisonous animals 
which they have in foreign countries ; and we are 
free from robbers. He is a blockhead who does not 
think our country the most beautiful of all ! he does 
not deserve to live here ! ” and at these words tears 
rolled down the Hen’s cheeks. “ I, too, have trav- 
elled ; I have been twelve miles in a coop. There 
is no pleasure at all in travelling.” 

“ Yes, the Hen is a sensible animal ! ” said the 


OLE LUCKOIE ; OR, THE DUSTMAN 117 

1 doll Bertha. “ I do not wish to travel over the 
mountains ; one is always going up and down ! No, 
we will go to the gravel pit, and walk in the 
garden among the cabbages.” 

And so it was settled. 

Saturday 

“ Now may I have some stories ? ” asked little 
Hialmar as soon as the Dustman had put him to sleep. 

“We shall have no time for them this evening,” 
said the Dustman, spreading his picture umbrella 
over him. “Look at these Chinese!” The um- 
brella resembled a large Chinese plate, with blue 
trees and pointed bridges ; little Chinese men and 
women stood nodding their heads among them. 

“ By to-morrow morning all the world must be 
put in order,” said the Dustman ; “ it is a festival 
day — it is Sunday. I must go to the church-tower, 
to see whether the little Nisses are rubbing the bells, 
so as to make them ring merrily. I must away to 
the fields, to see that the winds are sweeping the 
dust off the grass and leaves. I must take down 
the stars, in order to brighten them. I put them 
jnto my apron, but first they must be numbered ; 
and the holes in which they fit, up in the sky, must 
be numbered also, that every one may return to his 
proper place ; else they would not sit firmly, and we 


118 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


should have too many falling stars, one coming 
down after another.” 

“ Listen to me, good Mr. Ole Luckoie,” said an old 
Portrait, which hung by the wall, near where Hial- 
mar was sleeping. 44 Do you know that I am 
Hialmar’s great-grandfather ? I am much obliged 
to you for telling the boy stories ; but you must 
not puzzle him. Stars cannot be taken down and 
brightened ; they are bodies like our earth.” 

“ Many thanks, old Great-grandfather ! ” said the 
Dustman, “ many thanks ! Thou art certainly very 
old, but I am older still ! I am an old heathen ; the 
Greeks and Romans called me the God of Dreams. 
I have been in families of the greatest distinction, 
and I go there still ! I know how to deal with 
great and small ! Now is thy turn ; say what thou 
pleasest ! ” 

“ So one is no longer allowed to speak one’s mind ! ” 
muttered the old Portrait. 

And presently Hialmar awoke. 

Sunday 

44 Good evening ! ” said the Dustman ; and Hial- 
mar nodded his head to him, and jumped up to turn 
his great-grandfather’s Portrait to the wall in order 
that he might not interrupt them, as yesterday. 

44 Now you shall tell me stories about the five 


OLE LUCKOIE; OR, THE DUSTMAN 


119 


green peas who all lived in one pod ; and about the 
cock courting the hen ; and about the darning- 
needle who was so fine that she fancied herself a 
sewing-needle.” 

“ One may have too much of a good thing ! ” said 
the Dustman. “ I would rather show you some- 
thing else ; I will show you my brother. He never 
comes more than once to any one ; and whomsoever 
he visits he takes on his horse, and tells him a story. 
He knows only two stories : the one unspeakably 
delightful, such as no one in the world can imagine ; 
the other so dreadful, so horrible — it is not to be 
described.” And the Dustman lifted little Hialmar 
up to the window, saying, “ There is my brother, the 
other Dustman ; he is also called Death ! You see 
he is not so frightful as he is represented in picture 
books, where he seems to be all bones ; no, he wears 
clothes embroidered with silver ; it is the gayest of 
uniforms ! a mantle of black velvet flutters over his 
horse, behind him. See how he gallops ! ” 

And Hialmar saw the other Dustman ride on, and 
take old and young with him on his horse : some 
he placed in front, and others behind ; but he 
always asked first what sort of a journal they had 
to show. 

“ Good,” they all replied. “Yes, but let me see 
it,” said he ; so they were obliged to show it to him ; 


120 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


and all those who had “Very good” written in it 
were put in front of the horse, and heard the story 
that was so delightful ; but those who had “ Pretty 
good,” or “ Bad,” inscribed in their journals, were 
obliged to get up behind, and listen to the horrible 
story. They trembled, and wept ; they tried to 
jump down from the horse’s back ; but that they 
could not do, for they were as firmly fixed on as if 
they had grown there. 

“ Death is a most beautiful Dustman,” said Hial- 
mar : “ I am not afraid of him.” 

“ That you should not be,” said the Dustman ; 
“only take care to have a good journal to show.” 

“ Ah, this is very instructive ! ” muttered the 
great-grandfather’s Portrait. “ It is always of use 
to give one’s opinion.” He was now satisfied. 

These are the stories of Ole Luckoie ; perhaps he 
may tell you more this very evening. 


THE DAISY 


Listen to my story ! 

In the country, close by the road -side, there 
stands a summer-house — you must certainly have 
seen it. In front is a little garden full of flowers, 
enclosed by white palings ; and on a bank outside 
the palings there grew, amidst the freshest green 
grass, a little Daisy. The sun shone as brightly 
and warmly upon the Daisy as upon the splendid 
large flowers within the garden, and therefore it 
grew hourly, so that one morning it stood fully 
open, with its delicate white gleaming leaves, which, 
like rays, surrounded the little yellow sun in their 
centre.’ 

It never occurred to the little flower that no one 
saw her, hidden as she was among the grass ; she 
was quite contented: she turned towards the warm 
sun, looked at it, and listened to the Lark who was 
singing in the air. 

The Daisy was as happy as if it were the day of 
some high festival, and yet it was only Monday. 
The children were at school ; and whilst they sat 
121 


122 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


upon their forms, and learned their lessons, the little 
flower upon her green stalk learned from the warm 
sun, and everything around her, how good God is. 
Meanwhile the little Lark expressed clearly and 
beautifully all she felt in silence! And the flower 
looked up with a sort of reverence to the happy 
bird who could fly and sing ; it did not distress her 
that she could not do the same. “I can see and 
listen,” thought she ; “ the sun shines on me, and 
the wind kisses me. Oh ! how richly am I blessed.” 

There stood within the palings several grand, 
stiff-looking flowers ; the less fragrance they had 
the more airs they gave themselves. The Peonies 
puffed themselves out, in order to make themselves 
larger than the Roses. The Tulips had the gayest 
colours of all ; they were perfectly aware of it, and 
held themselves as straight as a candle, that they 
might be the better seen. They took no notice at 
all of the little flower outside the palings ; but she 
looked all the more upon them, thinking, “ How 
rich and beautiful they are ! Yes, that noble bird 
will surely fly down and visit them. How happy 
am I, who live so near them, and can see their 
beauty ! ” Just at that moment, “ Quirrevit ! ” the 
Lark did fly down, but he came not to the Peonies 
or the Tulips : no, he flew down to the poor little 
Daisy in the grass, who was almost frightened from 


THE DAISY 


123 


pure joy, and knew not what to think, she was so 
surprised. 

The little bird hopped about, and sang, “ Oh, how 
soft is this grass ! and what a sweet little flower 
blooms here, with its golden heart and silver gar- 
ment ! ” for the yellow centre of the Daisy looked 
just like gold, and the little petals around gleamed 
silver white. 

How happy the little Daisy was ! no one can 
imagine how happy. The bird kissed her with his 
beak, sang to her, and then flew up again into the 
blue sky. It was a full quarter of an hour ere the 
flower recovered herself. Half ashamed, and yet 
completely happy, she looked at the flowers in the 
garden ; they must certainly be aware of the honour 
and happiness that had been conferred upon her, 
they must know how delighted she was. But the 
Tulips held themselves twice as stiff as before, and 
their faces grew quite red with anger. As to the 
thick-headed Peonies, it was, indeed, well that they 
could not speak, or the little Daisy would have 
heard something not very pleasant. The poor little 
flower could see well that they were in an ill-humour, 
and she was much grieved at it. Soon after, a girl 
came into the garden with a knife sharp and bright ; 
she went up to the Tulips and cut off one after 
another. “ Ugh ! that is horrible, n sighed the 


124 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


Daisy; .“it is now all over with them.” The girl 
then went away with the Tulips. How glad was 
the Daisy that she grew in the grass outside the 
palings, and was a despised little flower ! She felt 
really thankful ; and when the sun set, she folded . 
her leaves, went to sleep, and dreamed all night of 
the sun and the beautiful bird. 

The next morning, when our little flower, fresh 
and cheerful, again spread out all her white leaves 
in the bright sunshine and clear blue air, she heard 
the voice of the bird ; but he sung so mournfully. 
Alas ! the poor Lark had good reason for sorrow ; j 
he had been caught, and put into a cage close by the j 
open window. He sang of the joys of a free and 
unrestrained flight ; he sang of the young green corn 
in the fields, and of the pleasure of being borne up 
by his wings in the open air. The poor bird was 
certainly very unhappy — he sat a prisoner in his 
narrow cage ! 

The little Daisy would so willingly have helped him, 
but how could she ? Ah, that she knew not : she 
quite forgot how beautiful was all around her, how 
warmly the sun shone, how pretty and white were 
her leaves. Alas ! she could only think of the im- 
prisoned bird — whom it was not in her power 'to 
help. 

All at once two little boys came out of the garden ; 


THE DAISY 


125 


one of them had a knife in his hand, as large and as 
sharp as that with which the girl had cut the Tulips. 
They went up straight to the little Daisy, who could 
not imagine what they wanted. 

“ Here we can cut a nice piece of turf for the 
Lark,” said one of the boys; and he began to cut 
deep all round the Daisy, leaving her in the centre. 

“ Tear out the flower,” said the other boy ; and 
the little Daisy trembled all over for fear ; for she 
knew that if she were torn out she would die, and 
she wished so much to live, as she was to be put into 
the cage with the imprisoned Lark. 

“No, leave it alone !” said the first, “it looks so 
pretty ; ” and so she was let alone, and was put into 
the Lark’s cage. 

But the poor bird loudly lamented the loss of his 
freedom, and beat his wings against the iron bars of 
his cage ; and the little flower - could not speak — 
could not say a single word of comfort to him, much 
as she wished to do so. Thus passed the whole 
morning. 

“ There is no water here ! ” sang the captive Lark ; 
“ they have all gone out and forgotten me ; not a 
drop of water to drink ! my throat is dry and burn- 
ing ! there is fire and ice within me, and the air is so 
heavy ! Alas ! I must die ; I must leave the warm 
sunshine, the fresh green trees, and all the beautiful 


126 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


things which God has created ! ” And then he 
pierced his beak into the cool grass, in order to 
refresh himself a little — and his eye fell upon the 
Daisy, and the bird bowed to her, and said, “ Thou, 
too, wilt wither here, thou poor little flower ! They 
have given me thee, and the piece of green around 
thee, instead of the whole world which I possessed 
before ! Every little blade of grass is to be to me 
a green tree, thy every white petal a fragrant flower ! 
Alas ! thou only remindest me of what I have lost.” 

“ Oh ! that I could comfort him ! ” thought the 
Daisy ; but she could not move a single petal ; yet 
the fragrance which came from her delicate blossom 
was stronger than is usual with this flower ; the bird 
noticed it, and although, panting with thirst, he tore 
the green blades in very anguish, he did not touch 
the flower. 

It was evening, arid yet no one came to bring the 
poor bird a drop of water ; he stretched out his 
slender wings, and shook them convulsively ; his 
song was a mournful wail ; his little head bent 
towards the flower, and the bird’s heart broke from 
thirst and desire. The flower could not now, as 
on the preceding evening, fold together her leaves 
and sleep : sad and sick, she drooped to the ground. 

The boys did not come till the next morning ; 
and when they saw the bird was dead, they wept 


bitterly. They dug a pretty grave, which they 
adorned with flower-petals ; the bird’s corpse was 
put into a pretty red box ; royally was the poor bird 
buried ! Whilst he yet lived and sang they forgot 
him — left him suffering in his cage — and now he 
was highly honoured and bitterly bewailed. 

But the piece of turf with the Daisy in it was 
thrown out into the street : no one thought of her 
who had felt most for the little bird, and who had 
so much wished to comfort him ! 


FIVE OUT OF ONE SHELL 


There were five peas in one shell : they were 
green, and the pod was green, and so they thought 
all the world was green ; and that was just as it 
should he. The shell grew and the peas grew ; they 
accommodated themselves to circumstances, sitting 
all in a row. The sun shone without, and warmed 
the husk, and the rain made it clear and transparent. 
It was mild and agreeable in the bright day and in 
the dark night, just as it should be, and the peas as 
they sat there became bigger and bigger, and more 
and more thoughtful, for something they must do. 

“Are we to sit here everlastingly?” asked one. 
“ I’m afraid we shall become hard by long sitting. 
It seems to me there must be something outside — 
I have a kind of inkling of it.” 

^nd weeks went by. The peas became yellow, 
and the pod also. 

“ All the world’s turning yellow,” said they ; and 
they had a right to say it. 

Suddenly they felt a tug at the shell. The shell 
128 


FIVE OUT OF ONE SHELL 


129 


was torn off, passed through human hands, and 
glided down into the pocket of a jacket, in company 
with other full pods. 

“Now we shall soon be opened!” they said; and 
that is just what they were waiting for. 

“I should like to know who of us will get farthest !” 
said the smallest of the five. “ Yes, now it will soon 
show itself.” 

“ What is to be will be,” said the biggest. 

“ Crack ! ” the pod burst, and all the five peas 
rolled out into the bright sunshine. There they lay 
in a child’s hand. A little boy was clutching them, 
and said they were fine peas for his pea-shooter ; and 
he put one in directly and shot it out. 

“Now, I’m flying out into the wide world, catch 
me if you can ! ” And he was gone. 

“ I,” said the second, “ I shall fly straight into the 
sun. That’s a shell worth looking at, and one that 
exactly suits me.” And away he went. 

“We’ll go to sleep wherever we arrive,” said the 
two next, “ but we shall roll on all the same.” And 
they certainly rolled and tumbled down on the 
ground before they got into the pea-shooter; but 
they were put in for all that. “We shall go 
farthest,” said they. 

“ What is to happen will happen,” said the last, as 
he was shot forth out of the pea-shooter ; and he. flew 


130 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


up against the old board under the garret window, 
just into a crack which was filled up with moss and 
soft mould ; and the moss closed round him ; there he 
lay a prisoner indeed, but not forgotten by provident 
nature. 

44 What is to happen will happen,” said he. 

Within, in the little garret, lived a poor woman, 
who went out in the day to clean stoves, chop wood 
small, and to do other hard work of the same kind, 
for she was strong and industrious too. But she 
always remained poor; and at home in the garret 
lay her half-grown only daughter, who was very 
delicate and weak : for a whole year she had kept 
her bed, and it seemed as if she could neither live 
nor die. 

“ She is going to her little sister,” the woman said. 
44 1 had only the two children, and it was not an easy 
thing to provide for both, but the good God provided 
for one of them by taking her home to himself ; now 
I should be glad to keep the other that was left me ; 
but I suppose they are not to remain separated, and 
my sick girl will go to her sister in heaven.” 

But the sick girl remained where she was. She 
lay quiet and patient all day long, while her mother 
went to earn money out of doors. It was spring, 
and early in the morning, just as the mother was 
about to go out to work, the sun shone mildly and 


FIVE OUT OF ONE SHELL 


131 


pleasantly through the little window, and threw its 
rays across the floor ; and the sick girl fixed her eyes 
on the lowest pane in the window. 

44 What may that green thing be that looks in at 
the window? It is moving in the wind.” 

And the mother stepped to the window, and half 
opened it. 44 Oh ! ” said she, 44 on my word, that is 
a little pea which has taken root here, and is putting 
out its little leaves. How can it have got into the 
crack? That is a little garden with which you can 
amuse yourself.” 

And the sick girl’s bed was moved nearer to the 
window, so that she could always see the growing 
pea ; and the mother went forth to her work. 

44 Mother, I think I shall get well,” said the sick 
child in the evening. 44 The sun shone in upon me 
to-day delightfully warm. The little pea is prosper- 
ing famously, and I shall prosper too, and get up, and 
go out into the warm sunshine.” 

44 God grant it,” said the mother, but she did not 
believe it would be so ; but she took care to prop 
with a little stick the green plant which had given 
her daughter the pleasant thoughts of life, so that 
it might not be broken by the wind. She tied a piece 
of string to the window-sill and to the upper part of 
the frame, so that the pea might have something 
round which it could twine, when it shot up ; and 


132 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


it did shoot up, indeed — one could see how it grew 
every day. 

“ Really, here is a flower coming ! ” said the woman, 
one day ; and now she began to cherish the hope that 
her sick daughter would recover. She remembered 
that lately the child had spoken much more cheer- 
fully than before, that in the last few days she had 
risen up in bed of her own accord, and had sat up- 
right, looking with delighted eyes at the little garden 
in which only one plant grew. A week afterward 
the invalid for the first time sat up for a whole hour. 
Quite happy, she sat there in the warm sunshine : the 
window was opened, and outside before it stood a 
pink pea blossom, fully blown. The sick girl bent 
down and gently kissed the delicate leaves. This 
day was like a festival. 

“ The Heavenly Father himself has planted that 
pea, and caused it to prosper, to be a joy to you, 
and to me also, my blessed child ! ” said the glad 
mother; and she smiled at the flower, as if it had 
been a good angel. 

But about the other peas? Why, the one who flew 
out into the wide world, and said, “ Catch me if you 
can,” fell into the gutter on the roof, and found a 
home in a pigeon’s crop ; the two lazy ones got just 
as far, for they, too, were eaten up by pigeons, 
and thus, at any rate, they were of some real use ; 


FIVE OUT OF ONE SHELL 


133 


but the fourth, who wanted to go up into the sun, 
fell into the sink, and there he lay in the dirty water 
for weeks and weeks, and swelled prodigiously. 

“ How beautifully fat I’m growing ! ” said the Pea. 
“ I shall burst at last ; and I don’t think any pea can 
do more than that. I’in the most remarkable of all 
the five that were in the shell.” 

And the Sink said he was right. 

But the young girl at the garret window stood there 
with gleaming eyes, with the roseate hue of health on 
her cheeks, and folded her thin hands over the pea 
blossom, and thanked Heaven for it. 

“I,” said the Sink, “ stand up for my own pea.” 


THE FIR TREE 


Far away in the deep forest there once grew a 
pretty Fir Tree ; the situation was delightful, the 
sun shone full upon him, the breeze played freely 
around him, and in the neighbourhood grew many 
companion fir trees, some older, some younger. 
But the little Fir Tree was not happy : he was 
always longing to be tall ; he thought not of the 
warm sun and the fresh air ; he cared not for 
the merry, prattling peasant children who came to 
the forest to look for strawberries and raspberries. 
Except, indeed, sometimes, when after having filled 
their pitchers, or threaded the bright berries on a 
straw, they would sit down near the little Fir Tree, 
and say, “ What a pretty little tree this is ! ” and 
then the Fir Tree would feel very much vexed. 

Year by year he grew, a long green shoot sent 
he forth every year ; for you may always tell how 
many years a fir tree has lived by counting the 
number of joints in its stem. 

“ Oli, that I was as tall as the others are,” sighed 
the little Tree, “then 1 should spread out my 
134 


THE FIR TREE 


135 


branches so far, and my crown should look out over 
the wide world around ! the birds would build 
their nests among my branches, and when the wind 
blew I should bend my head so grandly, just as 
the others do ! ” 

He had no pleasure in the sunshine, in the song 
of the birds, or in the red clouds that sailed over 
him every morning and evening. 

In the winter time, when the ground was cov- 
ered with the white, glistening snow, there was a 
hare that would come continually scampering about, 
and jumping right over the little Tree’s head — 
and that was most provoking ! However, two win- 
ters passed away, and by the third the Tree was 
so tall that the hare was obliged to run round it. 
“ Oh ! to grow, to grow, to become tall and Old, 
that is the only thing in the world worth living 
for;” — so thought the Tree. 

The wood cutters came in the autumn and 
felled some among the largest of the trees ; this 
happened every year, and our young Fir, who was 
by this time a tolerable height, shuddered when he 
saw those grand, magnificent trees fall with a tre- 
mendous crash, crackling to the earth : their boughs 
Avere then all cut off. Terribly naked, and lanky, 
and long did the stem look after this — they could 
hardly be recognised. They were laid one upon 


136 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


another in wagons, and horses drew them away, far, 
far away, from the forest. Where could they be 
going ? What might be their fortunes ? 

So next spring, when the Swallows and the Storks 
had returned from abroad, the Tree asked them, 
saying, “ Know you not whither they are taken ? 
have you not met them ? ” 

The swallows knew nothing about the matter, 
but the Stork looked thoughtful for a moment, 
then nodded his head, and said : “ Yes, I believe I 
have seen them ! As I was flying from Egypt to 
this place I met several ships ; those ships had 
splendid masts. I have little doubt that they 
were the trees that you speak of ; they smelled 
like fir wood. I may congratulate you, for they 
sailed gloriously, quite gloriously ! ” 

“ Oh, that I, too, were tall enough to sail upon 
the sea ! Tell me what it is, this sea, and what 
it looks like.” 

“ Thank you, it would take too long, a great 
deal ! ” said the Stork, and away he stalked. 

“ Rejoice in thy youth ! ” said the Sunbeams ; 
“ rejoice . in thy luxuriant youth* in the fresh life 
that is within thee ! ” 

And the Wind kissed the Tree, and the Dew 
wept tears over him, but the Fir Tree understood 
them not. 


THE FIR TREE 


137 


When Christmas approached, many quite young 
trees were felled — trees which were some of them 
not so tall or of just the same height as the young 
restless Fir Tree who was always longing to 
be away. These young trees were chosen from the 
most beautiful, their branches were not cut off, 
they were laid in a wagon, and horses drew them 
away, far, far away, from the forest. 

“ Where are they going ? ” asked the Fir Tree. 
“ They are not larger than I am ; indeed, one of 
them was much less. Why do they keep all their 
branches? where can they be gone?” 

u We know ! we know ! ” twittered the Sparrows. 
“ We peeped in through the windows of the town 
below ! we know where they are gone ! Oh, you 
cannot think what honour and glory they receive ! 
We looked through the window-panes and saw them 
planted in a warm room, and decked out with such 
beautiful things — gilded apples, sweetmeats, play- 
things, and hundreds of bright candles ! ” 

“ And then ? ” asked the Fir Tree, trembling in 
every bough ; “ and then ? what happened then ? ” 

“ Oh, we saw no more. That was beautiful, 
beautiful beyond compare ! ” 

“ Is this glorious lot destined to be mine ? ” cried 
the Fir Tree, with delight. “ This is far better than 
sailing over the sea. How I long for the time ! Oh, 


138 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


that Christmas were come ! I am now tall and full 
of branches, like the others which last year were 
carried away. Oh, that I were even now in the 
wagon ! that I were in the warm room, honoured 
and adorned ! and then — yes, then, something still 
better must happen, else why should they take the 
trouble to decorate me ? it must be that something 
still greater, still more splendid, must happen — but 
what ? Oh, I suffer, I suffer with longing ! I know 
not what it is that I feel ! ” 

“ Rejoice in our love ! ” said the Air and the Sun- 
shine. “ Rejoice in thy youth and thy freedom ! ” 
But rejoice he never would : he grew and grew, in 
winter as in summer ; he stood there clothed in green, 
dark-green foliage ; the people that saw him said, 
“ That is a beautiful tree ! ” and, next Christmas, he 
was the first that was felled. The axe struck sharply 
through the wood, the tree fell to the earth with a 
heavy groan ; he suffered an agony, a faintness, that 
he had never expected. He quite forgot to think of 
his good fortune, he felt such sorrow at being com- 
pelled to leave his home, the place whence he had 
sprung ; he knew that he should never see again 
those dear old comrades, or the little bushes and 
flowers that had flourished under his shadow, perhaps 
not even the birds. Neither did he find the journey 
by any means pleasant. 


THE FIR TREE 


139 


The Tree first came to himself when, in the court- 
yard to which he first was taken with the other trees, 
he heard a man say, “ This is a splendid one, the 
very thing we want ! ” 

Then came two smartly dressed servants, and car- 
ried the Fir Tree into a large and handsome saloon. 
Pictures hung on the walls, and on the mantel-piece 
stood large Chinese vases with lions on the lids ; 
there were rocking-chairs, silken sofas, tables covered 
with picture-books, and toys that had cost a hundred 
times a hundred rix-dollars° — at least so said the 
children. And the Fir Tree was planted in a large 
cask filled with sand, but no one could know that it 
was a cask, for it was hung with green cloth and 
placed upon a carpet woven of many gay colours. 
Oh, how the Tree trembled ! What was to happen 
next ? A young lady, assisted by the servants, now 
began to adorn him. 

Upon some branches they hung little nets cut out 
of coloured paper, every net filled with sugar-plums ; 
from others gilded apples and walnuts w^ere sus- 
pended, looking just as if they had grown there ; and 
more than a hundred little wax tapers, red, blue, 
and white, were placed here and there among the 
boughs. Dolls, that looked almost like men and 
women, — the Tree had never seen such things before, 
— seemed dancing to and fro among the leaves, and 


140 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


highest, on the summit, was fastened a large star of 
gold tinsel ; this was, indeed, splendid, splendid be- 
yond compare ! “ This evening,” they said, “ this 

evening it will be lighted up.” 

“ Would that it were evening ! ” thought the Tree. 
“Would that the lights were kindled, for then — 
what will happen then ? Will the trees come out of 
the forest to see me ? Will the sparrows fly here 
and look in through the window-panes? Shall I 
stand here adorned both winter and summer ? ” 

He thought much of it ; he thought till he had 
bark-ache with longing, and bark-aches with trees 
are as bad as head-aches with us. The Candles were 
lighted — oh, what a blaze of splendour ! the Tree 
trembled in all his branches, so that one of them 
caught fire. “ Oh, dear ! ” cried the young lady, 
and it was extinguished in great haste. 

So the Tree dared not tremble again ; he was so 
fearful of losing something of his splendour, he felt 
almost bewildered in the midst of all this glory and 
brightness. And now, all of a sudden, both folding- 
doors were flung open, and a troop of children rushed 
in as if they had a mind to jump over him. The older 
people followed more quietly ; the little ones stood 
quite silent, but only for a moment ! then their 
jubilee burst forth afresh ; they shouted till the 
walls re-echoed, they danced round the Tree, one 
present after another was torn down. 


THE FIR TREE 


141 


“ What are they doing ? ” thought the Tree ; 
“ what will happen now ! ” And the candles burned 
down to the branches, so they were extinguished, — 
and the children were given leave to plunder the 
Tree. Oh ! they rushed upon him in such riot, that 
the boughs all crackled ; had not his summit been 
festooned with the gold star to the ceiling he would 
have been overturned. 

The children danced and played about with their 
beautiful playthings ; no one thought any more of 
the Tree except the old nurse, who came and peeped 
among the boughs, but it was only to see whether 
perchance a fig or an apple had not been left among 
them. 

“ A story, a story ! ” cried the children, pulling a 
short, thick man towards the tree. He sat down, 
saying, “ It is pleasant to sit under the shade of 
green boughs ; besides, the Tree may be benefited by 
hearing my story. But I shall only tell you one. 
Would you like to hear about Ivedy Avedy, or about 
Humpty .Dumpty, who fell downstairs, and yet 
came to the throne and won the Princess ? ” 

“ Ivedy Avedy ! ” cried some; “Humpty Dumpty!” 
cried others ; there was a famous uproar ; the Fir 
Tree alone was silent, thinking to himself, “ Ought 
I to make a noise as they do ? or ought I to do noth- 
ing at all ? ” for he most certainly was one of the 


142 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


company, and had done all that had been required 
of him. 

And the short, thick man told the story of Humpty 
Dumpty, who fell downstairs, and yet came to the 
throne and won the Princess. And the children 
clapped their hands and called out for another ; they 
wanted to hear the story of Ivedy Avedy also, but 
they did not get it. The Fir Tree stood meanwhile 
quite silent and thoughtful — the birds in the forest 
had never related anything like this. “ Humpty 
Dumpty fell downstairs, and yet was raised to the 
throne and won the Princess ! Yes, yes, strange 
things come to pass in the world! ” thought the Fir 
Tree, who believed it must all be true, because such 
a pleasant man had related it. “ Ah, ah ! who knows 
but I may fall downstairs and win a Princess ? ” 
And he rejoiced in the expectation of being next day 
again decked out with candles and playthings, gold 
and fruit. 

“ To-morrow I will not tremble,” thought he. “ I 
will rejoice in my magnificence. To-morrow I shall 
again hear the story of Humpty Dumpty, and per- 
haps that about Ivedy Avedy likewise.” And the 
Tree mused thereupon all night. 

In the morning the maids came in. 

“ Now begins my state anew ! ” thought the Tree. 
But they dragged him out of the room, up the stairs. 


THE FIR TREE 


143 


and into an attic-chamber, and there thrust him into 
a dark corner, where not a ray of light could pene- 
trate. “ What can be the meaning of this ? ” thought 
the Tree. “ What am I to do here ? What shall I 
hear in this place ? ” And he leant against the wall, 
and thought, and thought. And plenty of time he 
had for thinking it over, for day after day, and night 
after night, passed away, and yet no one ever came 
into the room. At last somebody did come in, but 
it was only to push into the corner some old trunks ; 
the Tree was now entirely hidden from sight, and 
apparently entirely forgotten. 

“ It is now winter,” thought the Tree. “ The 
ground is hard and covered with snow ; they cannot 
plant me now, so I am to stay here in shelter till the 
spring. Men are so clever and prudent ! I only 
wish it were not so dark and so dreadfully lonely ! 
not even a little hare ! Oh, how pleasant it was in 
the forest, .when the snow lay on the ground and the 
hare scampered about, — yes, even when he jumped 
over my head, though I did not like it then. It is so 
terribly lonely here.” 

“ Squeak, squeak ! ” cried a little Mouse, just then 
gliding forward. Another followed ; they snuffed 
about the Fir Tree, and then slipped in and out 
among the branches. 

“ It is horribly cold ! ” said the little Mice. 


144 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


“ Otherwise it is very comfortable here. Don’t you 
think so, you old Fir Tree ? ” 

“ I am not old,” said the Fir Tree ; “ there are 
many who are much older than I am.” 

“ How came you here ? ” asked the Mice, “ and 
what do you know ? ” They were most uncommonly 
curious-. “Tell us about the most delightful place 
on earth. Have you ever been there? Have you 
been into the store room, where cheeses lie on the 
shelves, and bacon hangs from the ceiling ; where 
one can dance over tallow candles ; where one goes 
in thin and comes out fat ? ” 

“I know nothing about that,” said the Tree, “but 
I know the forest, where the sun shines and where 
the birds sing ! ” and then he spoke of his youth and 
its pleasures. The little Mice had never heard any- 
thing like it before ; they listened so ‘attentively and 
said, “Well, to be sure ! how much you have seen! 
how happy you have been ! ” 

“ Happy ! ” repeated the Fir Tree, in surprise, and 
he thought a moment over all that he had been say- 
ing, — “Yes, on the whole, those were pleasant 
times ! ” He then told them about the Christmas- 
eve, when he had been decked out with cakes and 
candles. 

“ Oh ! ” cried the little Mice, “ how happy you 
have been, you old Fir Tree ! ” 


THE FIR TREE 


145 


“ I am not old at all ! ” returned the Fir ; “ it is 
only this winter that I have left the forest; I am 
just in the prime of life ! ” 

“ How well you can talk ! ” said the little Mice ; 
and the next night they came again, and brought 
with them four other little Mice, who wanted also 
to hear the Tree’s history ; and the more the Tree 
spoke of his youth in the forest, the more vividly he 
remembered it, and said, “Yes, those were pleasant 
times ! but they may come again, they may come 
again ! Humpty Dumpty fell downstairs, and for 
all that he won the Princess ; perhaps I, too, may 
win a Princess; ” and then the Fir Tree thought of 
a pretty little delicate Birch tree that grew in the 
forest, — a real Princess, a very lovely Princess, was 
she to the Fir Tree. 

“ Who is this Humpty Dumpty ? ” asked the little 
Mice. Whereupon he related the tale; he could 
remember every word of it perfectly : and the little 
Mice were ready to jump to the top of the Tree for 
joy. The night following several more Mice came, 
and on Sunday came also two Rats ; they, however, 
declared that the story was not at all amusing, which 
much vexed the little Mice, who, after hearing their 
opinion, could not like it so well either. 

“ Do you know only that one story ? ” asked the 
Rats. 


146 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


“ Only that one ! ” answered the Tree ; “ I heard 
it on the happiest evening of my life, though I did 
not then know how happy I was.” 

“It is a miserable story! Do you know none 
about pork and tallow? — no store-room story? ” 

“No,” said the Tree. 

“Well, then, we have heard enough of it!” re- 
turned the Rats, and they went their ways. 

The little Mice, too, never came again. The Tree 
sighed. “ It was pleasant when they sat round me, 
those busy little Mice, listening to my words. Now 
that, too, is all past ! however, I shall have pleasure 
in remembering it, when I am taken away from this 
place.” 

But when would that be? One morning, people 
came and routed out the lumber room ; the trunks 
were taken away, the Tree, too, was dragged out of 
the corner ; they threw him carelessly on the floor, 
but one of the servants picked him up and carried 
him downstairs. Once more he beheld the light of 
day. 

“Now life begins again!” thought the Tree; he 
felt the fresh air, the warm sunbeams — he was out 
in the court. All happened so quickly that the 
Tree quite forgot to look at himself, — there was so 
much to look at all around. The court joined a 
garden, everything was so fresh and blooming, the 


THE FIR TREE 


147 


roses clustered so bright and so fragrant round the 
trellis-work, the lime-trees were in full blossom, and 
the swallows flew backwards and forwards, twitter- 
ing, “ Quirri-virri-vit, my beloved is come ! ” but it 
was not the Fir Tree whom they meant. 

“ I shall live ! I shall live ! ” He was filled with 
delightful hope ; he tried to spread out his branches, 
but, alas ! they were all dried up and yellow. He 
was thrown down upon a heap of weeds and nettles. 
The star of gold tinsel that had been left fixed on 
his crown now sparkled brightly in the sunshine. 

Some merry children were playing in the court, 
the same who at Christmas time had danced round 
the Tree. One of the youngest now perceived the 
gold star, and ran to tear it off. 

“ Look at it, still fastened to the ugly old Christ- 
mas Tree ! ” cried he, trampling upon the boughs 
till they broke under his boots. 

And the Tree looked on all the flowers of the 
garden now blooming in the freshness of their 
beauty ; he looked upon himself, and he wished 
from his heart that he had been left to wither alone 
in the dark corner of the lumber room : he called to 
mind his happy forest life, the merry Christmas eve, 
and the little Mice who had listened so eagerly when 
he related the story of Humpty Dumpty. 

“ Past, all past ! ” said the poor Tree. “ Had I 


148 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


but been happy, as I might have been ! Past, all 
past ! ” 

And the servant came and broke the Tree into 
small pieces, heaped them up and set fire to them. 
And the Tree groaned deeply, and every groan 
sounded like a little shot ; the children all ran up to 
the place and jumped about in front of the blaze, 
looking into it and crying, “ Piff, piff ! ” But at each 
of those heavy groans the Fir Tree thought of a 
bright summer’s day, or a starry winter’s night in 
the forest, of Christmas eve, or of Humpty Dumpty, 
the only story that he knew and could relate. And 
at last the Tree was burned. 

The boys played about in the court ; on the bosom 
of the youngest sparkled the gold star that the Tree 
had worn on the happiest evening of his life ; but 
that was past, and the Tree was past, and the story 
also, past ! past ! for all stories must come to an end, 
some time or other. 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


IN SEVEN PARTS 

Part the First 

WHICH TREATS OF THE MIRROR AND ITS 
FRAGMENTS 

Listen! We are beginning our story! When 
we arrive at the end of it we shall, it is to be hoped, 
know more than we do now. 

There was once a magician ! a wicked magician ! ! 
a most wicked magician ! ! ! Great was his delight 
at having constructed a mirror possessing this peculi- 
arity, viz. that everything good and beautiful, when 
reflected in it, shrank up almost to nothing, whilst 
those things that were ugly and useless were magni- 
fied, and made to appear ten times worse than before. 
The loveliest landscapes reflected in this mirror looked 
like boiled spinach, and the handsomest persons ap- 
peared odious, or as if standing upon their heads, their 
features being so distorted that their friends could 
never have recognised them. Moreover, if one of 
149 


150 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


them had a freckle, he might be sure that it would 
seem to spread over the nose and mouth ; and if a 
good or pious thought glanced across his mind, a 
wrinkle was seen in the mirror. All this the magi- 
cian thought highly entertaining, and he chuckled 
with delight at his own clever invention. Those 
who frequented the school of magic where he taught 
spread abroad the fame of this wonderful mirror, and 
declared that, by its means, the world and its inhabit- 
ants might be seen now, for the first time, as they 
really were. They carried the mirror from place to 
place, till at last there was no country nor person 
that had not beep piisrepresented in it. Its admirers 
now must peefls fly up to the sky with it, to see if 
they could not carry on their sport evep there. But 
the higher they flew the more wrinkled did the mir- 
ror become, — they could scarcely hold it together. 
They flew on and on, higher and higher, till at last 
the mirror trembled so fearfully that it escaped from 
their hands, and fell to the earth, breaking into mill- 
ions, billions, and trillions of pieces. And then it 
caused far greater unhappiness than before, for frag- 
ments of it, scarcely so large as a grain of sand, would 
be flying about in the air, and sometimes get into 
people’s eyes, causing them to view everything the 
wrong way, or to have power to see only what was 
perverted and corrupt, each little fragment having 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


151 


retained the peculiar properties of the entire mirror* 
Some people were so unfortunate as to receive a lit- 
tle splinter into their hearts, — that was terrible ! 
The heart became cold and hard, like a lump of ice. 
Some pieces were large enough to be used as window- 
panes, but it was of no use to look at one’s friends 
through such panes as those. Other fragments were 
made into spectacles, and then what trouble people 
had with setting and resetting them ! The wicked 
magician was greatly amused with all this, and he 
laughed till his sides ached. 

There are still some little splinters of this mis- 
chievous mirror flying about in the air ; we shall 
hear more about them very soon. 


Part the Second 

A LITTLE BOY AND A LITTLE GIRL 

In a large town, where there are so many houses 
and inhabitants that there is not room enough for all 
the people to possess a little garden of their own, 
and therefore many are obliged to content them- 
selves with keeping a few plants in pots, there dwelt 
two poor children whose garden was somewhat larger 
than a flower-pot. They were not brother and sister, 
but they loved each other as much as if they had been, 


152 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


and their parents lived in two attics exactly opposite. 
The roof of one neighbour’s house nearly joined the 
other, the gutter ran along between, and there was 
in each roof a little window, so that you could stride 
across the gutter from one window to the other. 

The parents of each child had a large wooden box 
in which grew herbs for kitchen use, and they had 
placed these boxes upon the gutter, so near that they 
almost touched each other. A beautiful little rose 
tree grew in each box, scarlet-runners entwined then- 
long shoots over the windows, and, uniting with the 
branches of the rose trees, formed a flowery arch 
across the stre'et. The boxes were very high, and 
the children knew that they might not climb over 
them, but they often obtained leave to sit on their 
little stools under the rose trees, and thus they passed 
many a delightful hour. 

But when winter came there was an end to these 
pleasures. The windows were often quite frozen 
over, and then they heated half-pence on the stove, 
held the warm copper against the frozen pane, and 
thus made a little round peep-hole, behind which 
would sparkle a bright gentle eye, one from each 
window. 

The little boy was called Kay, the little girl’s 
name was Gerda. In summer time they could get 
out of window and jump over to each other ; but 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


153 


in winter there were stairs to run down, and stairs 
to run up, and sometimes the wind roared, and the 
snow fell without doors. 

“ Those are the white bees swarming there ! ” said 
the old grandmother. 

“ Have they a queen bee ? ” asked the little boy, 
for he knew that the real bees have one. 

“ They have,” said the grandmother. “ She flies 
yonder where they swarm so thickly ; she is the 
largest of them, and never remains upon the earth, 
but flies up again into the black cloud. Sometimes, 
on a winter’s night, she flies through the streets of 
the town, and breathes with her frosty breath upon 
the windows, and then they are covered with strange 
and beautiful forms, like trees and flowers.” 

“Yes, I have seen them ! ” said both the children 
— they knew that this was true. 

“ Can the Snow Queen come in here ? ” asked the 
little girl. 

“ If she do come in,” said the boy, “ I will put her 
on the warm stove, and then she will melt.” 

And the grandmother stroked his hair and told 
him some stories. 

That same evening, after little Kay had gone 
home, and was half-undressed, he crept upon the 
chair by the window and peeped through the little 
round hole. Just then a few snow-flakes fell out- 


154 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


side, and one, the largest of them, remained lying 
on the edge of one of the flower-pots. The snow- 
flake appeared larger and larger, and at last took 
the form of a lady dressed in the finest white crape, 
her attire being composed of millions of star-like 
particles. She was exquisitely fair and delicate, but 
entirely of ice, — glittering, dazzling ice. Her eyes 
gleamed like two bright stars, but there was no rest 
nor repose in them. She nodded at the window, and 
beckoned with her hand. The little boy was fright- 
ened and jumped down from the chair. He then 
fancied he saw a large bird fly past the window. 

There was a clear frost next day, and soon 
afterwards came spring. The trees and flowers 
budded, the swallows built their nests, the windows 
were opened, and the little children sat once more in 
their little garden upon the gutter that ran along the 
roofs of -the houses. 

The roses blossomed beautifully that summer, and 
the little girl had learned a hymn in which there 
was something about roses : it reminded her of her 
own. So she sang it to the little boy, and he sang 
it with her : — 

“ Our roses bloom and fade away, 

Our Infant Lord abides alway. 

May we be blessed His face to see, 

And ever little children be ! ” 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


155 


And the little ones held each other by the hand, 
kissed the roses, and looked up into the blue sky, 
talking away all the time. What glorious summer 
days were those ! How delightful it was to sit under 
those lovely rose trees, which seemed as if they never 
intended to leave off blossoming ! One day Kay and 
Gerda were sitting looking at their picture-book, full 
of birds and animals, when suddenly — the clock on 
the old church-tower was just striking five — Kay 
exclaimed, “ Oh, dear ! what was that shooting pain 
in my heart ! and now again, something has cer- 
tainly got into my eye ! ” 

The little girl turned and looked at him ! he 
winked his eyes — no, there was nothing to be 
seen. 

“ I believe it is gone,” said he ; but gone it was 
not. It was one of those glass splinters from the 
Magic Mirror, — the wicked glass which made every- 
thing great and good reflected in it to appear little 
and hateful, and which magnified everything ugly 
and mean. Poor Kay had also received a splinter in 
his heart, — it would now become hard and cold, 
like a lump of ice. He felt the pain no longer, but 
the splinter was there. 

44 Why do you cry ? ” asked he ; 44 you look so 
ugly when you cry ! there is nothing the matter 
with me. Fie ! ” exclaimed he again, 44 this rose has 


156 


ANDERSEN ’ S FAIRY TALES 


an insect in it, and just look at this ! after all they 
are ugly roses ! and it is an ugly box they grow 
in ! ” Then he kicked the box and tore off the 
roses. 

“ Oh, Kay, what are you doing ? ” cried the little 
girl ? but when he saw how it grieved her, he tore 
off another rose, and jumped down through his own 
window, away from his once dear little Gerda. 

Ever afterwards, when she brought forward the 
picture-book, he called it a baby’s book; and when 
her grandmother told stories, he interrupted her with 
a but, and sometimes, whenever he could manage it, 
he would get behind her, put on her spectacles, and 
speak just as she did; he did this in a very droll 
manner, and so people laughed at him. Very soon he 
could mimic everybody in the street. All that was 
singular and awkward about them could Kay imitate, 
and his neighbours said, 44 What a remarkable head 
that boy has ! ” But no, it was the glass splinter 
which had fallen into his eye, the glass splinter which 
had pierced into his heart. It was these which made 
him regard less whose feelings he wounded, and even 
made him tease the little Gerda who loved him so 
fondly. 

His games were now quite different from what 
they used to be — they were so rational ! One win- 
ter’s day, when it was snowing, he came out with a 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


157 


large burning glass in his hand, and holding up the 
skirts of his blue coat, let the snow-flakes fall upon 
them. 

“Now, look through the glass, Gerda ! ” said he, 
returning to the house. Every snow-flake seemed 
much larger, and resembled a splendid flower, or a 
star with ten points ; they were quite beautiful. 
“ See, how curious ! ” said Kay ; “ these are far more 
interesting than real flowers; there is not a single 
blemish in them. They would be quite perfect, if 
only they did not melt.” 

Soon after this, Kay came in again, with thick 
gloves on his hands, and his sledge slung across 
his back. He called out to Gerda, “ I have got leave 
to drive on the great square where the other boys 
play ! ” and away he went. 

The boldest boys in the square used to fasten their 
sledges firmly to the wagons of the country people, 
and thus drive a good way along with them ; this 
they thought particularly pleasant. Whilst they 
were in the midst of their play, a large sledge, 
painted white, passed by ; in it sat a person wrapped 
in a rough white fur, and wearing a rough white 
cap. When the sledge had driven twice round the 
square, Kay bound to it his little sledge, and was 
carried on with it. On they went, faster and faster, 
into the next street. The person who drove the large 


158 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


sledge turned round and nodded kindly to Kay, just 
as if they had been old acquaintances, and every 
time Kay was going to loose his little sledge, turned 
and nodded again, as if to signify that he must stay. 
So Kay sat still, and they passed through the gates 
of the town. Then the snow began to fall so thickly 
that the little boy could not see his own hand, but 
he was still carried on. He tried hastily to unloose 
the cords and free himself from the large sledge, but 
it was of no use, — his little carriage could not be 
unfastened, and glided on as swift as the wind. 
Then he cried out as loud as he could, but no one 
heard him — the snow fell and the sledge flew ; 
every now and then it made a spring, as if driving 
over hedges and ditches. He was very much fright- 
ened, he would have repeated “ Our Father,” but 
he could remember nothing but the multiplication 
table. 

The snow-flakes seemed larger and larger ; at last 
they looked like great white fowls. All at once 
they fell aside, the large sledge stopped, and the 
person who drove it arose from the seat. He saw 
that the cap and coat were entirely of snow, that 
it was a lady, tall and slender, and dazzlingly white 
— it was the Snow Queen ! 

“We have driven fast!” said she, “but no one 
likes to be frozen — creep under my bear-skin.” 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


159 


And she seated him in the sledge by her side, and 
spread her cloak around him : he felt as if he were 
sinking into a drift of snow. 

“ Are you still cold ? ” asked she, and then she 
kissed his brow. Oh ! her kiss was colder than ice, 
it went to his heart, although that was half frozen 
already. He thought he should die, — it was, how- 
ever, only for a moment, — directly afterwards he 
was quite well, and no longer felt the intense cold 
around. 

“ My sledge ! do not forget my sledge ! ” — he 
thought first of that — it was fastened to one of the 
white fowls which flew behind with it on his back. 
The Snow Queen kissed Kay again, and he entirely 
forgot little Gerda, her grandmother, and all at 
home. 

“Now you must have no more kisses ! ” said she, 
“else I should kiss thee to death.” 

Kay looked at her, she was so beautiful ; a more 
intelligent, more lovely countenance, he could not 
imagine ; she no longer appeared to him ice, cold 
ice, as at the time when she sat outside the window 
and beckoned to him. In his eyes she was perfect, 
he felt no fear, he told her how well he could reckon 
in his head, even fractions ; that he knew the number 
of square miles of every country, and ' the num- 
ber of the inhabitants contained in different towns. 


160 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


She smiled, and then it occurred to him that, after 
all, he did not yet know so very much ; he looked 
up into the wide, wide space, and she flew with him 
high up into the black cloud while the storm was 
raging ; it seemed now to Kay as though singing 
songs of olden time. 

They flew over woods and over lakes, over sea 
and over land ; beneath them the cold wind whistled, 
the wolves howled, the snow glittered, and the black 
crow flew cawing over the plain, whilst above them 
shone the moon, so clear and tranquil. 

Thus did Kay spend the long, long winter night ; 
all day he slept at the feet of the Snow Queen. 


Part the Third 

THE ENCHANTED FLOWER GARDEN 

But how fared it with little Gerda, when Kay 
never returned? Where could he be ? No one 
knew, no one could give any account of him. The 
boys said that they had seen him fasten his sledge 
to another larger and very handsome one, which 
had driven into the street, and thence through the 
gates of the town. No one knew where he was, and 
many were the tears that were shed ; little Gerda 
wept much and long, for the boys said he must be 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


161 


dead. He must have been drowned in the river that 
flowed not far from the town. Oh, how long and 
dismal the winter days were now ! 

At last came the spring, with its warm sunshine. 

“ Alas, Kay is dead and gone ! ” said little Gerda. 

“ That I do not believe,” said the Sunshine. 

“ He is dead and gone,” said she to the Swallows. 

“ That we do not believe,” returned they, and at 
last little Gerda herself did not believe it. 

“I will put on my new red shoes,” said she, one 
morning, “ those which Kay has never seen, and 
then I will go down to the river and ask after him.” 

It was quite early ; she kissed her old grand- 
mother, who was still sleeping, put on her red shoes, 
and went alone through the gates of the town towards 
the river. 

“ Is it true,” said she, “ that thou hast taken my 
little playfellow away ? I will give thee my red 
shoes, if thou wilt restore him to me ! ” 

And the wavelets of the river flowed towards her 
in a manner which she fancied was unusual ; she 
fancied that they intended to accept her offer. So 
she took off her red shoes, though she prized them 
more than anything else she possessed, and threw 
them into the stream ; but they fell near the shore, 
and the little waves bore them back to her, as though 
they would not take from her what she most prized, 


M 


162 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


as they had not got little Kay. However, she 
thought she had not thrown the shoes far enough, 
so she stepped into a little boat which lay among 
the reeds by the shore, and, standing at the farthest 
end of it, threw them from thence into the water. 
The boat was not fastened, and her movements in 
it caused it to glide away from the shore. She saw 
this, and hastened to get out, but, by the time she 
reached the other end of the boat, it was more than 
a yard distant from the land ; she could not escape, 
and the boat glided on. 

Little Gerda was much frightened and began to 
cry, but no one besides the sparrows heard her, and 
they could not carry her back to the land ; however, 
they flew along the banks, and sang as if to comfort 
her, u Here we are, here we are ! ” The boat fol- 
lowed the stream, little Gerda sat in it quite still ; 
her red shoes floated behind her, but they could not 
overtake the boat, which glided along faster than 
they did. 

Beautiful were the shores of that river, — lovely 
flowers, stately old trees, and bright green hills 
dotted with sheep and cows, were seen in abundance, 
but not a single human being. 

“ Perhaps the river may bear me to my dear Kay,” 
thought Gerda, and then she became more cheerful, 
and amused herself for hours with looking at the 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


163 


lovely country around her. At last she glided past 
a large cherry garden, wherein stood a little cottage, 
with thatched roof and curious red and blue win- 
dows ; two wooden soldiers stood at the door, who 
presented arms when they saw the little vessel ap- 
proach. 

Gerda called to them, thinking that they were 
alive, but they, naturally enough, made no answer. 
She came close up to them, for the stream drifted the 
boat to the land. 

Gerda called still louder, whereupon an old lady 
came out of the house, supporting herself on a crutch; 
she wore a large hat, with most beautiful flowers 
painted on it. 

44 Thou poor little child ! ” said the old woman, 
44 the mighty flowing river has indeed borne thee a 
long, long way.” And she walked right into the 
water, seized the boat with her crutch, drew it to 
land, and took out the little girl. 

Gerda was glad to be on dry land again, although 
she was a little afraid of the strange old lady. 

44 Come and tell me who thou art, and how thou 
earnest hither,” said she. 

And Gerda told her all, and the old lady shook her 
head, and said, 44 Hem ! hem !” And when Gerda 
asked if she had seen little Kay, the lady said that 
he had not arrived there yet, but that he would be 


164 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


sure to come soon, and that in the meantime Gerda 
must not be sad ; that she might stay with her, might 
eat her cherries, and look at her flowers, which were 
prettier than any picture-book, and could each tell 
her a story. 

She then took Gerda by the hand ; they went to- 
gether into the cottage, and the old lady shut the 
door. The windows were very high, and their panes 
of different coloured glass, red, blue, and yellow, so 
that when the bright daylight streamed through 
them, various and beautiful were the hues reflected 
upon the room. Upon a table in the centre was 
placed a plate of very fine cherries, and of these 
Gerda was allowed to eat as many as she liked ; and 
whilst she was eating them, the old dame combed her 
hair with a golden comb, and the bright flaxen ring- 
lets fell on each side of her pretty, gentle face, which 
looked as round and as fresh as a rose. 

“ I have long wished for such a dear little girl,” 
said the old lady. “We shall see if we cannot live 
very happily together.” And, as she combed little 
Gerda’s hair, the child thought less and less of her 
foster brother Kay, for the old lady was an enchant- 
ress. She did not, however, practise magic for the 
sake of mischief, but merely for her own amusement. 
And now she wished vety much to keep little Gerda 
to live with her. So, fearing that if Gerda saw her 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


165 


roses, she would be reminded of her own flowers and 
of little Kay, and that then she might run away, she 
\Vent out into the, garden, and extended her crutch 
over all her rose bushes, upon which, although they 
were full of leaves and blossoms, they immediately 
sank into the black earth, and no one would have 
guessed that such plants had ever grown there. 

Then she led Gerda into this flower garden. Oh, 
how beautiful and how fragrant it was ! Flowers of 
all seasons and all climes grew there in fulness of 
beauty ; certainly no picture-book could be compared 
with it. Gerda bounded with delight, and played 
among the flowers, till the sun set behind the tall 
cherry trees ; after which a pretty little bed, with 
crimson silk cushions, stuffed with blue violet leaves, 
was prepared for her, and here she slept so sweetty, 
and had such dreams as a queen might have on her 
bridal eve. 

The next day she again played among the flowers 
in the warm sunshine, and many more days were 
spent in the same manner. Gerda knew every flower 
in the garden, but numerous as they were, it seemed 
to her that one was wanting — she could not tell 
which. She was sitting one day looking at her host- 
ess’s hat, which had flowers painted on it, and be- 
hold, the loveliest among them was a rose ! The old 
lady had entirely forgotten the painted rose on her 


166 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


hat, when she made the real roses to disappear from 
her garden and sink into the ground. This is often 
the case when things are done hastily. 

“ What ! ” cried Gerda, “ are there no roses in the 
garden ? ” And she ran from one bed to another : 
sought and sought again, but no rose was to be 
found. She sat down and wept, and it so chanced 
that her tears fell on a spot where a rose tree had 
formerly stood, and as soon as her warm tears had 
moistened the earth, the bush shot up anew, as fresh 
and as blooming as it was before it had sunk into the 
ground. And Gerda threw her arms around it, kissed 
the blossoms, and immediately recalled to memory 
the beautiful roses at home, and her little playfellow 
Ivay. 

“ Oh, how could I stay here so long ? ” exclaimed 
the little maiden ; “ 1 left my home to seek for Kay. 
Do you not know where he is ? ” she asked of the 
Roses ; “ think you that he is dead ? ” 

“ Dead he is not,” said the Roses ; “ we have been 
down in the earth ; the dead are there, but not Kay.” 

“ I thank you,” said little Gerda ; and she went to 
the other flowers, bent low over their cups, and 
asked, “ Know you not where little Kay is ? ” 

But every flower stood in the sunshine dreaming 
its own little tale ; they related their stories to 
Gerda, but none of them knew anything of Kay. 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


167 


“ And what think you ? ” said the Tiger-lily. 

“ Listen to the drums beating, boom ! boom ! they 
have but two notes, always boom ! boom ! Listen to 
the dirge the women are singing ! listen to the chorus 
of the priests ! Enveloped in her long red robes stands 
the Hindoo wife on the funeral pile, the flames blaze 
around her and her dead husband, but the Hindoo 
wife thinks not of the dead. She thinks only of the 
living, and the anguish which consumes her spirit is 
keener than the fire which will soon reduce her body 
to ashes. Can the flame of the heart expire amid 
the flames of the funeral pile ? ” 

“ I do not understand that at all ! ” said little Gerda. 

“ That is my tale ! ” said the Tiger-lily. 

“ What says the Convolvulus ?” 

“ Hanging over a narrow mountain causeway be- 
hold an ancient baronial castle, thick evergreens 
grow amongst the time-stained walls, their leafy 
branches entwine about the balcony, and there 
stands a beautiful maiden. She bends over the bal- 
ustrades and fixes her eyes with eager expectation 
on the road winding beneath. The rose hangs not 
fresher and lovelier on its stem than she ; the apple- 
blossom which the wind threatens every moment to 
tear from its branch is not more fragile and trembling. 
Listen to the rustling of her rich silken robe ! Listen 
to her half-whispered words, 4 He comes not yet ! ’ ” 


168 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


“ Is it Kay you mean? ” asked little Gerda. 

“I do but tell you my tale — my dream,” replied 
the Convolvulus. 

u What says the little Snowdrop?” 

“ Between two trees hangs a swing ; two pretty 
little maidens, their dress as white as snow, and long 
green ribands fluttering from their hats, sit and 
swing themselves in it; their brother stands up in 
the swing, — he has thrown his arms round the ropes 
to keep himself steady, for in one hand he holds a 
little cup, in the other a pipe made of clay — he is 
blowing soap-bubbles. The swing moves, and the 
bubbles fly upwards with bright, ever changing 
colours ; the last hovers on the edge of the pipe, 
and moves with the wind. The swing is still in 
motion, and a little black dog, almost as light as the 
soap-bubbles, rises on his hind feet, and tries to get 
into the swing also ; away goes the swing, the dog 
falls, is out of temper, and barks ; he is laughed at, 
and the bubbles burst. A swinging-board, a frothy, 
fleeting image, is my song.” 

“ What you describe may be all very pretty, but 
you speak so mournfully, and there is nothing about 
Kay. 

“ What say the Hyacinths? ” 

“ There were three fair sisters — transparent and 
delicate they were; the kirtle of the one was red, 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


169 


that of the second bine, of the third pure white. 
Hand in hand they danced in the moonlight, beside 
the quiet lake ; they were not fairies, but daughters 
of men. Sweet was the fragrance when the maidens 
vanished into the wood ; the fragrance grew stronger ; 
three biers, whereon lay the fair sisters, glided out 
from the depths of the wood and floated upon the 
lake, the glow-worms flew shining around like little 
hovering lamps. Sleep the dancing maidens, or are 
they dead? The odour from the flowers tells us 
they are corpses. The evening bells peal out their 
dirge.” 

“You make me quite sad,” said little Gerda. 
“Your fragrance is so strong I cannot help think- 
ing of the dead maidens ; alas ! and is little Kay 
dead? The Roses have been under the earth, and 
they say 4 No.’ ” 

“ Ding dong ! ding dong ! ” rang the Hyacinth 
bells. “We toll not for little Kay — we know him 
not. We do but sing our own song — the only one 
we know.” 

And Gerda went to the Buttercup, which shone 
so brightly from among her smooth green leaves. 

“ Thou art like a little bright sun,” said Gerda ; 
“ tell me, if thou canst, where I may find my play- 
fellow.” 

And the Buttercup glittered so brightly, and 


170 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


looked at Gerda. What song could the Buttercup 
sing? Neither was hers about Kay. 

“ One bright spring morning the sun shone warmly 
upon a little courtyard, the bright beams streamed 
down the white walls of a neighbouring house, and 
close by grew the first yellow flower of spring, glit- 
tering like gold in the warm sunshine. An old 
grandmother sat without in her arm-chair, her grand- 
daughter, a pretty, lowly maiden, had just returned 
home from a short visit ; she kissed her grandmother, 
— there was gold, pure gold, in that loving kiss : — 

“ Gold was the flower ! 

Gold the fresh, bright morning hour ! 

“ That is my little story,” said the Buttercup. 

“ My poor old grandmother ! ” sighed Gerda. “ Y es, 
she must be wishing for me, just as she wished for 
little Kay. But I shall soon go home again, and 
take Kay with me. It is of no use to ask the flowers 
about him, they only know their own song, they can 
give me no information.” And she folded her little 
frock round her, that she might run the faster ; but, 
in jumping over the Narcissus, it caught her foot, as 
if wishing to stop her. So she turned and looked at 
the tall yellow flower, saying, “ Have you any news 
to give me?” She bent over the Narcissus, waiting 
for an answer. And what said the Narcissus ? 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


171 


“ I can look at myself, I can see myself ! Oh, how 
sweet is my fragrance ! Up in the little attic cham- 
ber stands a little dancer. She rests sometimes on 
one leg, sometimes on two. She has trampled the 
whole world under her feet : she is nothing but an 
illusion. She pours water from a teapot upon a piece 
of cloth she holds in her hand — it is her bodice ; 
cleanliness is a fine thing J — her white dress hangs 
on the hook ; that has also been washed by the water 
from the teapot, and dried on .the roof of the house. 
She puts it on, and wraps a saffron-coloured hand- 
kerchief round her neck ; it makes the dress look all 
the whiter. With one leg extended, there she stands, 
as though on a stalk. I can look at myself — I see 
myself ! ” 

“ I don’t care if you do,” said Gerda. “ You need 
not have told me that ; ” and away she ran to the 
end of the garden. 

The gate was closed, but she pressed upon the 
rusty lock till it broke ; the gate sprang open, and 
little Gerda, with bare feet, ran out into the wide 
world. Three times she looked back ; there was no 
one following her ; she ran till she could run no 
longer, and then sat down to rest upon a large 
stone. Casting a glance around, she saw that the 
summer was past, that it was now late in the autumn. 
Of course, she had not remarked this in the enchanted 


172 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


garden, where there were sunshine and flowers all 
the year round. 

“ How long I must have stayed there ! ” said little 
Gerda. “So it is now autumn! Well, then, there 
is no time to lose ; ” and she rose to pursue her way. 

Oh, how sore and weary were her little feet ! and all 
around looked so cold and barren ; the long willow 
leaves had already turned yellow, and the dew 
trickled down from them in large drops. The 
leaves fell off the trees, one by one ; the sloe alone 
bore fruit, and its berries were so sharp and bitter ! 
Cold, and grey, and sad, seemed the world to her 
that day. 


Part the Fourth 

THE PRINCE AND THE PRINCESS 

Gerda was again obliged to stop and take rest. 
Suddenly a large Raven hopped upon the snow in 
front of her, saying, “ Caw ! Caw ! Good-day ! Good- 
day ! ” He had sat for some time on the withered 
branch of a tree just opposite, eying the little maiden, 
and wagging his head ; and he now came forward to 
make acquaintance, and to ask her whither she was 
going all alone. That word “alone” Gerda under- 
stood right well — she felt how sad a meaning it has. 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


173 


She told the Raven the history of her life and for- 
tunes, and asked if he had seen Kay. 

And the Raven nodded his head, half doubtfully, 
and said, 44 That is possible ! — possible ! ” 

“ Do you think so ? ” exclaimed the little girl, and 
she kissed the Raven so vehemently, that it is a won- 
der she did not squeeze him to death. 

44 More moderately ! — moderately ! ” said the Ra- 
ven. “ I think I know ; I think it may be little Kay ; 
but he has certainly forsaken thee for the Princess.” 
44 Dwells he with a Princess ? ” asked Gerda. 

44 Listen to me,” said the Raven ; 44 but it is so 
difficult to speak your language ! Do you under- 
stand Ravenish ? if so, I can tell you much better.” 

44 No, I have never learned Ravenish,” said Gerda, 
44 but my grandmother knew it, and Py e-language also. 
Oh, how I wish I had learned it ! ” 

“Never mind,” said the Raven, 44 1 will relate my 
story in the best manner I can, though bad will be 
the best ; ” and he told all he knew. 

44 In the kingdom wherein we are now sitting there 
dwells a Princess, a most uncommonly clever Prin- 
cess. All the newspapers in the world has she read, 
and forgotten them again, so clever is she. It is not 
long since she ascended the throne, which I have 
heard is not quite so agreeable a situation as one 
would fancy ; and immediately after she began to 


174 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


sing a new song, the burden of which was this, 

4 Why should I not marry me ? ’ 4 There is some 

sense in this song ! ’ said she, and she determined 
she would marry ; but at the same time declared 
that the man whom she would choose must be able 
to answer sensibly whenever people spoke to him, 
and must be good for something else besides merely 
looking grand and stately. The ladies of the court 
were then all drummed together, in order to be in- 
formed of her intentions, whereupon they were highly 
delighted ; and one exclaimed, 4 That is just what I 
wish ; ’ and another, that she had lately been think- 
ing of the very same thing. Believe me,” continued 
the Raven, 44 every word I say is true, for I have a 
tame beloved who hops at pleasure about the palace, 
and she has told me all this.” 

Of course, the 44 beloved ” was also a raven, for 
birds of a feather flock together. 

44 Proclamations, adorned with borders of hearts, 
were immediately issued, wherein, after enumerating 
the style and titles of the Princess, it was set forth 
that every well-favoured youth was free to go to the 
palace and converse with the Princess ; and that 
whoever should speak in such wise as showed that 
he felt himself at home, there would be the one the 
Princess would choose for her husband. 

44 Yes, indeed,” continued the Raven, “you may 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


175 


believe me ; all this is as true as that I sit here. 
The people all crowded to the palace ; there was 
famous pressing and squeezing ; but it was all of no 
use, either the first or the second day. The young 
men could speak well enough while they were out- 
side the palace gates, but when they entered, and 
saw the royal guard in silver uniform, and the 
lackeys on the staircase in gold, and the spacious 
saloon all lighted up, they were quite confounded. 
They stood before the throne where the Princess 
sat ; and when she spoke to them, they could only 
repeat the last word she had uttered, which, you 
know, it was not particularly interesting for her to 
hear over again. It was just as though they had 
been struck dumb the moment they entered the pal- 
ace ; for as soon as they got out, they could talk 
fast enough. There was a regular procession con- 
stantly moving from the gates of the town to the 
gates of the palace. I was there, and saw it with 
my own eyes,” said the Raven. “They grew both 
hungry and thirsty whilst waiting at the palace, but 
no one could get even so much as a glass of water. 
To be sure, some of them, wiser than the rest, had 
brought with them slices of bread and butter ; but 
none would give any to his neighbour, for he thought 
to himself, 4 Let him look hungry, and then the Prin- 
cess will be sure not to choose him,’ ” 


176 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


“ But Kay, little Kay, when did lie come ? ” asked 
Gerda ; “ was he among the crowd ? ” 

“ Presently, presently ! we have just come to him. 
On the third day arrived a youth with neither horse 
nor carriage ; gaily he marched up to the palace ; his 
eyes sparkled like yours ; he had long, beautiful hair, 
but was very meanly clad.” 

“ That was Kay ! ” exclaimed Gerda. “ Oh, then 
I have found him ! ” and she clapped her hands with 
delight. 

“ He carried a knapsack on his back,” said the 
Raven. 

“No, not a knapsack,” said Gerda, “a sledge, for 
he had a sledge with him when he left home.” 

“ It is possible,” rejoined the Raven ; “ I did not 
look very closely ; but this I heard from my beloved, 
that when he entered the palace gates and saw the 
royal guard in silver and the lackeys in gold upon 
the staircase, he did not seem in the least confused, 
but nodded pleasantly, and said to them, ‘ It must be 
very tedious standing out here ; I prefer going in.’ 
The halls glistened with light ; Cabinet Councillors 
and Excellencies were walking about barefooted, and 
carrying golden keys. It was just the place to make 
a man solemn and silent ; and the youth’s boots 
creaked horribly, yet he was not at all afraid.” 

“ That most certainly was Kay ! ” said Gerda ; “ I 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


177 


know he had new boots ; I have heard them creak in 
my grandmother’s room.” 

“ Indeed they did creak ! ” said the Raven ; “ but 
merrily went he up to the Princess, who was sitting 
upon a pearl as large as a spinning-wheel, whilst all 
the ladies of the court, with the maids of honour and 
their handmaidens ranged in order, stood on one side, 
and all the gentlemen in waiting, with their gentle- 
men, and their gentlemen’s gentlemen, who also kept 
pages, stood ranged in order on the other side, and 
the nearer they were to the door the prouder they 
looked. The gentlemen’s gentlemen’s page, who 
always wears slippers, one dare hardly look at, so 
proudly he stands at the door.” 

“ That must be dreadful ! ” said little Gerda. 
“And has Kay really won the Princess?” 

“ Had I not been a Raven I should have won her 
myself, notwithstanding my being betrothed. The 
young man spoke as well as I speak when I con- 
verse in Ravenish ; that I have heard from my tame 
beloved. He was handsome and lively. 4 He did 
not come to woo her,’ he said ; 4 he had only come to 
hear the wisdom of the Princess ; ’ and he liked her 
much, and she liked him in return.” 

44 Yes, to be sure, that was Kay,” said Gerda; “he 
was so clever, he could reckon in his head even frac- 
tions ! Oh, will you not take me into the palace?” 


N 


178 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


“ Ah ! that is easily said,” replied the Raven ; 
“hut how is it to be done? I will talk it over with 
my tame beloved ; she will advise us what to do, for 
1 must tell you that such a little girl as you are will 
never gain permission to enter publicly.” 

“ Yes, I shall ! ” cried Gerda. “ When Kay knows 
that I am here, he will immediately come out and 
fetch me.” 

“ Wait for me at the trellis yonder,” said the Raven. 
He wagged his head, and away he flew. 

The Raven did not return till late in the evening. 
“ Caw, caw ! ” said he. “ My tame beloved greets 
you kindly, and sends you a piece of bread which 
she took from the kitchen ; there is plenty of bread 
there, and you must certainly be hungry. It is not 
possible for you to enter the palace, for you have 
bare feet ; the royal guard in silver uniform, and the 
lackeys in gold, would never permit it; but do not 
weep, thou shalt go there. My beloved knows a little 
back-staircase leading to the sleeping apartments, 
and she knows also where to find the key.” 

And they went into the garden, down the grand 
avenue, where the leaves dropped upon them as they 
passed along, and, when the lights in the palace one 
by one had all been extinguished, the Raven took 
Gerda to a back-door, which stood half open. Oh, 
how Gerda’s heart beat with fear and. expectation ! 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


179 


it was just as though she was about to do something 
wrong, although she only wanted to know whether 
Kay was really there. Yes, it must be he ! she 
remembered so well his bright eyes and long hair. 
She would see if his smile were the same it used to 
be when they sat together under the rose trees. He 
would be so glad to see her ; to hear how far she had 
come for his sake ; how all at home mourned his 
absence. Her heart trembled with fear and joy. 

They went up the staircase ; a small lamp, placed 
on a cabinet, gave a glimmering light ; on the floor 
stood the tame Raven, who first turned her head on 
all sides, and then looked at Gerda, who made her 
curtsey, as her grandmother had taught her. 

“My betrothed has told me much about you, my 
good young maiden,” said the tame Raven; “your 
adventures, too, are extremely interesting ! If you 
will take the lamp, I will show you the way. We 
are going straight on — we shall not meet any one 
now.” 

“ It seems to me as if some one were behind us,” 
said Gerda ; and, in fact, there was a rushing sound 
as of something passing; strange-looking shadows 
flitted rapidly along the wall ; horses with long, slen- 
der legs and fluttering manes ; huntsmen, knights, 
and ladies. 

“ These are only Dreams ! ” said the Raven ; “ they 


180 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


come to amuse the great personages here at night ; 
you will have a better opportunity of looking at 
them when you are in bed. I hope that when you 
arrive at honours and dignities, you will show a 
grateful heart.” 

“ Do not talk of that ! ” said the Wood Raven. 

They now entered the first saloon ; its walls were 
covered with rose-coloured satin, embroidered with 
gold flowers. The Dreams rustled past them, but 
with such rapidity that Gerda could not see them. 
The apartments through which they passed vied with 
each other in splendour, and at last they reached the 
sleeping hall. In the centre of this room stood a 
pillar of gold, resembling the stem of a large palm 
tree, whose leaves of glass — costly glass — formed 
the ceiling, and depending from the tree, hung near 
the floor, on thick golden stalks, two beds in the form 
of lilies. The one was white, wherein reposed the 
Princess; the other was red, and here must Gerda 
seek her playfellow Kay. She bent aside one of the 
red leaves, and saw a brown neck. Oh, it must be 
Kay ! She called him by his name aloud — held the 
lamp close to him ; the Dreams again rushed by ; 
he awoke, turned his head, and, behold ! it was not 
Kay. 

The Prince resembled him only about the throat ; 
he was, however, young and handsome. And the 


THE SHOW QUEEN 


181 


Princess looked out from the white lily petals, and 
asked what was the matter. Then little Gerda wept 
and told her whole story, and what the Ravens had 
done for her. 

“ Poor child ! ” said the Prince and Princess ; and 
they praised the Ravens, and said they were not at 
all angry with them. Such liberties must never be 
taken again in their palace, but this time they should 
be rewarded. 

“ W ould you like to fly away free to the woods ? ” 
asked the Princess, addressing the Ravens; “or to 
have the appointment secured to you as Court Ravens, 
with the perquisites belonging to the kitchen, such as 
crumbs and leavings ? ” 

And both the Ravens bowed low and chose the 
appointment at court, for they thought of old age, 
and said it would be so comfortable to be well 
provided for in their declining years. 

Then the Prince arose, and made Gerda sleep in 
his bed ; and she folded her little hands, thinking, 
“ How kind both men and animals are to me ! ” She 
closed her eyes and slept soundly and sweetly, and 
all the Dreams flitted about her; they looked like 
angels from heaven, and seemed to be drawing a 
sledge, whereon Kay sat and nodded to her ; but this 
was only fancy, for as soon as she awoke all the beau- 
tiful visions had vanished. 


182 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


The next day she was dressed from head to foot in 
silk and velvet. She was invited to stay at the palace 
and enjoy all sorts of diversions ;• but she begged only 
for a little carriage and a horse, and a pair of little 
boots. All she desired was to go again into the wide 
world to seek Kay. 

And they gave her the boots, and a muff besides. 
She was dressed so prettily ; and as soon as she was 
ready, there drove up to the door a new carriage of 
pure gold, with the arms of the Prince and Princess 
glittering upon it like a star, the coachman, footman, 
and outriders all wearing gold crowns. The Prince 
and Princess themselves helped her into the car- 
riage and wished her success. The Wood Raven, 
who was now married, accompanied her the first 
three miles ; he sat by her side, for riding backwards 
was a thing he could not bear. The other Raven 
stood at the door flapping her wings ; she did not go 
with them on account of a headache she had felt ever 
since she had received her appointment, in conse- 
quence of eating too much. The carriage was well 
provided with sugar plums, fruit, and gingerbread nuts. 

“Farewell, farewell ! ” cried the Prince and Prin- 
cess ; little Gerda wept, and the Raven wept out of 
sympathy. But his farewell was a far sorer trial ; he 
flew up to the branch of a tree, and flapped his black 
wings at the carriage till it was out of sight. 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


183 


Part the Fifth 

THE LITTLE ROBBER MAIDEN 

They drove through the dark, dark forest, the car- 
riage shone like a torch ; unfortunately, its bright- 
ness attracted the eyes of the robbers who dwelt in 
the forest shades : they could not bear it. 

44 That is gold ! gold ! ” cried they ; forward they 
rushed, seized the horses, stabbed the outriders, 
coachman, and footman to death, and dragged little 
Gerda out of the carriage. 

44 She is plump, she is pretty, she has been fed on 
nut kernels ! ” said the old Robber wife, who had a 
long, bristly beard, and eyebrows hanging like bushes 
over her eyes. 44 She is like a little fat lamb ! and 
how smartly she is dressed ! ” and she drew out her 
bright dagger, glittering most terribly. 

44 Oh, oh ! ” cried the woman ; for at the very 
moment she had lifted her dagger to stab Gerda, her 
own wild and wilful daughter jumped upon her back 
and bit her ear violently. 44 You naughty child ! ” 
said the mother. 

44 She shall play with me,” said the little Robber 
maiden. 44 She shall give me her muff and her pretty 
frock, and sleep with me in my bed ! ” And then 
she bit her mother again, till the Robber wife sprang 


184 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


up and shrieked with pain, whilst the robbers all 
laughed, saying, “ Look at her playing with her 
young one ! ” 

“ I will get into the carriage ! ” and so spoiled 
and wayward was the little Robber maiden, that she 
always had her own way, and she and Gerda sat 
together in the carriage, and drove over stock and 
stone, farther and farther into the wood. The little 
Robber maiden was about as tall as Gerda, but much 
stronger ; she had broad shoulders, and a very dark 
skin ; her eyes were quite black, and had an ex- 
pression almost melancholy. She put her arm round 
Gerda’s waist, and said : “ She shall not kill thee so 
long as I love thee ! Art thou not a princess ? ” 

“ No,” said Gerda ; and then she told her all that 
had happened to her, and how much she loved little 
Kay. 

The Robber maiden looked earnestly in her face, 
shook her head, and said, “ She shall not kill thee, 
even if I do quarrel with thee ; then, indeed, I would 
rather do it myself ! ” And she dried Gerda’s tears, 
and put both her hands into the pretty muff that was 
so soft and warm. 

The carriage at last stopped in the middle of the 
courtyard of the Robbers’ castle. This castle was 
half ruined ; crows and ravens flew out of the open- 
ings, and some fearfully large bulldogs, looking as if 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


185 


they could devour a man in a moment, jumped round 
the carriage ; they did not bark, for that was for- 
bidden. 

The maidens entered a large, smoky hall, where a 
tremendous fire was blazing on the stone floor ; the 
smoke rose up to the ceiling, seeking a way of escape, 
for there was no chimney. A large cauldron, full of 
soup, was boiling over the fire, whilst hares and rab- 
bits were roasting on the spit. 

“Thou shalt sleep with me and my little pets to- 
night ! ” said the Robber maiden. Then they had 
some food, and afterwards went to a corner, wherein 
lay straw and a piece of carpet. Nearly a hundred 
pigeons were perched on staves and laths around 
them ; they seemed to be asleep, but were startled 
when the little maidens approached. 

“ These all belong to me ! ” said Gerda’s com- 
panion ; and seizing hold of one of the nearest, she 
held the poor bird by the feet, and swung it. “ Kiss 
it,” said she, flapping it into Gerda’s face. “ The 
rabble from the wood sit up there,” continued she, 
pointing to a number of laths fastened across a hole 
in the wall. “ Those are wood pigeons ; they would 
fly away if I did not keep them shut up. And here 
is my old favourite ! ” She pulled forward by the 
horn a Reindeer, who wore a bright copper ring 
round his neck, by which he was fastened to a large 


186 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


stone. “ We are obliged to chain him up, or he 
would run away from us ; every evening 1 tickle his 
neck with my sharp dagger, it makes him fear me so 
much ! ” and the Robber maiden drew out a long 
dagger from a gap in the wall, and passed it over the 
Reindeer’s throat. The poor animal struggled and 
kicked, but the girl laughed, and then she pulled 
Gerda into bed with her. 

“ Will you keep the dagger in your hand whilst 
you sleep ? ” asked Gerda, looking timidly at the 
dangerous plaything. 

“ I always sleep with my dagger by my side,” re- 
plied the little Robber maiden. “ One never knows 
what may happen. But now tell me all over again 
what you told me before about Kay, and the reason 
of your coming into the wide world all by yourself.” 
And Gerda again related her history, and the W ood 
Pigeons imprisoned above listened, but the others 
were fast asleep. The little Robber maiden threw 
one arm round Gerda’s neck, and holding the dagger 
with the other, was also soon asleep. One could hear 
her heavy breathing, but Gerda could not close her 
eyes throughout the night ; she knew not what would 
become of her, whether she w^ould even be suffered 
to live. The robbers sat round the fire drinking and 
singing. Oh, it was a dreadful night for the poor 
little girl ! 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


187 


Then spoke the Wood Pigeons: “Coo, coo, coo ! 
We have seen the little Kay. A white fowl carried 
his sledge ; he himself was in the Snow Queen’s 
chariot, which passed through the wood whilst we 
sat in our nest. She breathed upon us young ones 
as she passed, and all died of her breath excepting 
us two, — coo, *coo, coo ! ” 

“ What are you saying ? ” cried Gerda ; “ where 
was the Snow Queen going ? Do you know anything 
about it ? ” 

“ She travels most likely to Lapland, where ice 
and snow abide all the year round. Ask the Rein- 
deer bound to the rope there.” 

“ Yes, ice and snow are there all through the year. 
It is a glorious land ! ” said the Reindeer ; “ there, 
free and happy, one can roam through the wide, 
sparkling valleys ! There the Snow Queen has her 
summer tent ; her str'ong castle is very far off, 
near the North Pole, on the island called Spitz- 
bergen.” 

“ Oh, Kay, dear Kay ! ” sighed Gerda. 

“You must lie still,” said the Robbed maiden, “or 
I will thrust my dagger into your side.” 

When morning came Gerda repeated to her what 
the Wood Pigeons had said, and the little Robber 
maiden looked grave for a moment, then nodded her 
head, saying : “No matter! no matter! Do you 


188 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


know where Lapland is ? ” asked she of the Rein 
deer. 

“ Who should know but I ? ” returned the animal, 
his eyes kindling. “ There was I born and bred, 
there how often have I bounded over the wild icy 
plains ! ” 

“ Listen to me ! ” said the Robber maiden to Gerda. 
u You see all our men are gone ; my mother is still 
here, and will remain ; but towards noon she will 
drink a little out of the great flask, and after that 
she will sleep ; then I will do something for you ! ” 
And so saying she jumped out of bed, sprung upon 
her mother, pulled her by the beard, and said, “ My 
own dear mam, good morning ! ” and the mother ca- 
ressed her so roughly that she was red and blue all 
over ; however, it was from pure love. 

When her mother was fast asleep, the Robber 
maiden went up to the Reindeer and said, “ I should 
have great pleasure in stroking you a few more times 
with my sharp dagger, for then you look so droll ; 
but never mind, I will unloose your chain and help 
you to escape, on condition that you run as fast as 
you can to Lapland, and take this little girl to the 
castle of the Snow Queen, where her playfellow is. 
You must have heard her story, for she speaks loud 
enough, and you know well how to listen.” 

The Reindeer bounded with joy, and the Robber 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


189 


maiden lifted Gerda on his back, taking the precau- 
tion to bind her on firmly, as well as to give her a 
little cushion to sit on. “ And here,” said she, “ are 
your fur boots, you will need them in that cold 
country. The muff I must keep myself, it is too 
pretty to part with ; but you shall not be frozen ; 
here are my mother’s huge gloves — they reach up 
to the elbow — put them on. Now your hands look 
as clumsy as my old mother’s ! ” 

And Gerda shed tears of joy. “ I cannot bear to 
see you crying ! ” said the little Robber maiden ; “ you 
ought to look glad. See, here are two loaves and a 
piece of bacon for you, that you may not be hungry 
on the way.” She fastened this provender also on 
the Reindeer’s back, opened the door, called away 
the great dogs, and then cutting asunder with her 
dagger the rope which bound the Reindeer, shouted 
to him, “Now, then, run ! but take good care of the 
little girl.” 

And Gerda stretched out her hands to the Robber 
maiden, and bade her farewell, and the Reindeer 
fleeted through the forest, — over stock and stone, 
over desert and heath, over meadow and moor. The 
wolves howled and the ravens shrieked. “Iseh, 
isch!” a red light flashed; one might have fancied 
the sky was sneezing. 

“Those are my dear old Northern Lights !” said 


190 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


the Reindeer ; “ look at them, how beautiful they 
are ! ” And he ran faster than ever ; night and day 
he ran. The loaves were eaten, so was the bacon ; 
at last they were in Lapland. 


Part the Sixth 

THE LAPLAND WOMAN, AND THE FINMARK WOMAN 

They stopped at a little hut — a wretched hut it 
was ; the roof very nearly touched the ground, and 
the door was so low, that whoever wished to go either 
in or out was obliged to crawl upon hands and knees. 
No one was at home except an old Lapland woman, 
who was busy boiling fish over a lamp filled with 
train-oil. The Reindeer related to her Gerda’s 
whole history, not, however, till after he had made 
her acquainted with his own, which appeared to him 
of much more importance. Poor Gerda, meanwhile, 
was so overpowered by the cold that she could not 
speak. 

“ Ah, poor things ! ” said the Lapland woman, 
“ you have still a long way before you ! you have a 
hundred miles to run before you can arrive in Fin- 
mark. The Snow Queen dwells there, and burns 
blue lights every evening. I will write for you a 
few words on a piece of dried stock-fish 0 — paper I 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


191 


have none — and you may take it with you to the 
wise Finmark woman who lives there ; she will 
advise you better than. I can.” 

So when Gerda had well warmed herself and 
taken some food, the Lapland woman wrote a few 
words on a dried stock-fish, bade Gerda take care of 
it, and bound her once more firmly on the Reindeer’s 
back. Onwards they sped ; the wondrous Northern 
Lights, now of the loveliest, brightest blue colour, 
shone all through the night ; and amidst these splen- 
did illuminations they arrived in Finmark, and 
knocked at the chimney of the Wise woman, for 
door to her house she had none. 

Hot, very hot was it within, so much so that the 
Wise woman wore scarcely any clothing ; she was 
low in stature, and very dirty. She immediately 
loosened little Gerda’s dress, took off her fur boots 
and thick gloves, laid a piece of ice on the Reindeer’s 
head, and then read what was written on the stock- 
fish. She read it three times ; after the third read- 
ing she knew it by heart, and threw the fish into 
the porridge-pot, for .it might make a very excellent 
supper, and she never wasted anything. 

The Reindeer then repeated his own story, and 
when that was finished he told of little Gerda’s ad- 
ventures, and the Wise woman twinkled her wise 
eyes, but spoke not a word. 


192 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


“Thou art so powerful,” continued the Reindeer, 

“ that I know thou canst twist all the winds of the 
world into a rope, of which if the pilot loosen one 
knot, he will have a favourable wind ; if he loosen ! 
the second, it will blow sharp ; and if he loosen the 
third, so tremendous a storm will arise that the 
trees of the forest will be uprooted, and the ship 
wrecked. Wilt thou not mix for this little maiden 
that wonderful draught which will give her the 
strength of twelve men, and thus enable her to over- 
come the Snow Queen ? ” 

“ The strength of twelve men ! ” repeated the 
Wise woman ; “ that would be of much use, to be 
sure ! ” and she walked away, drew forth a large 
parchment roll from a shelf, and began to read. 
What strange characters were' seen inscribed on the 
scroll, as the Wise woman slowly unrolled it ! She 
read so intently, that the perspiration ran down her 
forehead. 

But the Reindeer pleaded so earnestly for little 
Gerda, and Gerda’s eyes were raised so entreatingly 
and tearfully, that at last the Wise woman’s eyes 
began to twinkle again out of sympathy, and she 
drew the Reindeer into a corner, and putting a fresh 
piece of ice upon his head, whispered thus : — 

“ Little Kay is still with the Snow Queen, in 
whose abode everything is according to his taste, 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


193 


and, therefore, he believes it to be the best place in 
the world. But that is because he has a glass 
splinter in his heart, and a glass splinter in his eye ; 
until he has got rid of them he will never feel like 
a human being, and the Snow Queen will always 
maintain her influence over him.” 

“ But canst thou not give something to little 
Gerda whereby she may overcome all these evil 
influences ? ” 

“ I can give her no power so great as that which 
she already possesses. Seest thou not how strong 
she is ? Seest thou not that both men and animals 
must serve her — a poor little girl, wandering bare- 
foot through the world? Her power is greater than 
ours ; it proceeds from her heart — from her being 
a loving and innocent child. If this power, which 
she already possesses, cannot give her access to the 
Snow Queen’s palace, and enable her to free Kay’s 
eye and heart from the glass fragment, we can do 
nothing for her ! Two miles hence is the Snow 
Queen’s garden, thither thou canst carry the little 
maiden ; put her down close by the bush bearing 
red berries and half covered with snow. Lose no 
time, and hasten back to this place ! ” 

And the Wise woman lifted Gerda on the Rein- 
deer’s back, and away they went. 

“ Oh, I have left my boots behind ! I have left 


o 


194 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


my gloves behind ! ” cried little Gerda, when it was 
too late. The cold was piercing, but the Reindeer 
dared not stop ; on he ran until he reached the bush 
with the red berries. Here he set Gerda down, 
kissed her, the tears rolling down his cheeks the 
while, and ran fast back again, which was the best 
thing he could do. And there stood poor Gerda, 
without shoes, without gloves, alone in that barren 
region — that terrible icy-cold Finmark. 

She ran on as fast as she could — a whole regi- 
ment of snow-flakes came to meet her. They did not 
fall from the sky, which was cloudless and bright 
with the Northern Lights, they ran straight along 
the ground, and the farther Gerda advanced the 
larger they grew. Gerda then remembered how 
large and curious the snow-flakes had appeared to 
her when one day she had looked at them through 
a burning-glass ; these, however, were very much 
larger — they were living forms ; they were, in fact, 
the Snow Queen’s guards. Their shapes were the 
strangest that could be imagined ; some looked like 
great ugly porcupines, others like snakes rolled into 
knots with their heads peering forth, and others 
• like little fat bears with bristling hair, — all, how- 
ever, were alike dazzlingly white, — all were living 
snow-flakes. 

Little Gerda began to repeat “Our Father.” 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


195 


Meanwhile the cold was so intense that she could 
see her own breath, which, as it escaped her mouth, 
ascended into the air like vapour ; more dense grew 
this vapour, and at length shaped itself into the 
forms of little bright angels, which, as they touched 
the earth, became larger and more distinct. They 
wore helmets on their heads, and carried shields 
and spears in their hands. Their number increased 
so rapidly that, by the time Gerda had finished her 
prayer, a whole legion stood around her. They 
thrust with their spears against the horrible snow- 
flakes, which fell into thousands of pieces, and little 
Gerda walked on, unhurt and undaunted. The 
angels touched her hands and feet, and then she 
scarcely felt the cold, and boldly approached the 
Snow Queen’s palace. 

But before we accompany her there, let us see 
what Kay is doing. He is certainly not thinking of 
little Gerda, least of all can he imagine that she is 
now standing at the palace gate. 


196 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES. 


Part the Seventh 

WHICH TREATS OF THE SNOW QUEEN’S PALACE, 
AND OF WHAT CAME TO PASS THEREIN 

The walls of the palace were formed of the driven 
snow, its doors and windows of the cutting winds ; 
there were above a hundred halls, the largest of them 
many miles in extent, all illuminated by the Northern 
Lights; all alike vast, empty, icily cold, and dazzlingly 
white. No sounds of mirth ever resounded through 
these dreary spaces; no cheerful scene refreshed the 
sight — not even so much as a bear’s ball, such as 
one might imagine sometimes takes place ; the tem- 
pest forming a band of musicians, and the polar bears 
standing on their hind-paws and exhibiting themselves 
in the oddest positions. Nor was their ever a card- 
assembly, wherein the cards might be held in the 
mouth, and dealt out by the paws ; nor even a small 
select coffee party for the white young lady foxes. 
Vast, empty, and cold were the Snow Queen’s cham- 
bers, and the Northern Lights flashed now high, now 
low, in regular gradations. In the midst of the 
empty, interminable snow-saloon lay a frozen lake ; 
it was broken into a thousand pieces ; but these pieces 
so exactly resembled each other, that the breaking of 
them might well be deemed a work of more than 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


197 


human skill. The Snow Queen, when at home, 
always sat in the centre of this lake; she used to say 
that she was then sitting on the Mirror of Reason, 
and that hers was the best — indeed, the only one — 
' in the world. 

Little Kay was quite blue, nay, almost black with 
cold ; but he did not observe it, for the Snow Queen 
had kissed away the shrinking feeling he used to 
experience, and his heart was like a lump of ice. He 
was busied among the sharp icy fragments, laying 
and joining them together in every possible way, 
just as people do with what are called Chinese Puzzles. 
Kay could form the most curious and complete figures, 
— this was the ice-puzzle of reason, — and in his eyes 
these figures were of the utmost importance. He 
often formed whole words ; but there was one word 
he could never succeed in forming — it was Eternity. 
The Snow Queen had said to him, “ When thou canst 
put that figure together, thou shalt become thine own 
master, and I will give thee the whole world, and a 
new pair of skates besides.” But he could never do it. 

“Now I am going to the warm countries,” said the 
Snow Queen ; “ I shall flit through the air, and look 
into the black cauldrons ” — she meant the burning 
mountains, Etna and Vesuvius. “I shall whiten 
them a little ; that will be good for the citrons and 
vineyards.” So away flew the Snow Queen, leaving 


198 


ANDERSEN 9 8 FAIRY TALES 


Kay sitting all alone in the large, empty hall of ice. 
He looked at the fragments, and thought and thought 
till his head ached : he sat so still and so stiff that 
one might have fancied that he, too, was frozen. 

Cold and cutting blew the winds when little Gerda ' 
passed through the palace gates, but she repeated her 
evening prayer, and they immediately sank to rest. 
She entered the large, cold, empty hall. She saw 
Kay, she recognised him, she flew upon his neck, she 
held him fast, and cried, “ Kay! dear, dear Kay! I 
have found thee at last ! ” 

But he sat still as before — cold, silent, motionless. 
His unkindness wounded poor Gerda deeply, hot and 
bitter were the tears she shed. They fell upon his 
breast, they reached his heart, they thawed the ice, 
and dissolved the tiny splinter of glass within it. He 
looked at her whilst she sang her hymn: — 

“ Our roses bloom and fade away, 

Our Infant Lord abides alway ! 

May we be blessed His face to see, 

And ever little children be ! ” 

Then Kay burst into tears ; he wept till the glass 
splinter floated in his eye and fell with his tears ; he 
knew his old companion immediately, and exclaimed 
with joy, “ Gerda, my dear little Gerda, where hast 
thou been all this time ? — And where have I been ? ” 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


199 


He looked around him. “ How cold it is here ! — 
how wide and empty ! ” and he embraced Gerda 
whilst she laughed and wept by turns. Even the 
pieces of ice took part in their joy. They danced 
about merrily, and when they were wearied and lay 
down, they formed of their own accord the mystical 
letters of which the Snow Queen had said, that when 
Kay could put them together, he should be his own 
master, and that she would give him the whole world, 
with a new pair of skates besides. 

And Gerda kissed his cheeks, whereupon they 
became fresh and glowing as ever; she kissed his 
eyes, and they sparkled like her own ; she kissed his 
hands and feet, and was once more healthy and merry. 
The Snow Queen might now come home as soon as 
she liked — it mattered not ; Kay’s charter of free- 
dom stood written on the mirror in bright icy 
characters. 

They took each other by the hand, and wandered 
forth out of the palace — talking, meanwhile, about 
the aged grandmother, and the rose trees on the roof 
of their houses ; and as they walked on, the winds 
were hushed into a calm, and the sun burst forth in 
splendour from among the dark storm-clouds. When 
they arrived at the bush with the red berries, they 
found the Reindeer standing by, awaiting their 
arrival ; he had brought with him another and 


200 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


younger Reindeer, whose udders were full, and who 
gladly gave her warm milk to refresh the young 
travellers. 

The old Reindeer and the young Hind now carried 
Kay and Gerda on their backs, first to the little hot 
room of the Wise woman of Finmark, where they 
warmed themselves, and received advice how to pro- 
ceed in their journey home, — and afterwards to the 
abode of the Lapland woman, who made them some 
new clothes, and provided them with a sledge. 

The whole party now ran on together till they came 
to the boundary of the country ; but just where the 
green leaves began to sprout, the Lapland woman 
and the two Reindeers took their leave. “Farewell! 
— farewell ! ” said they all. And the first little birds 
they had seen for many a long day began to chirp and 
warble their pretty songs; and the trees of the forest 
burst upon them full of rich and variously tinted 
foliage. Suddenly the green boughs parted asunder, 
and a spirited horse galloped up. Gerda knew it 
well, for it was the one which had been harnessed to 
her gold coach ; and on it sat a young girl wearing a 
bright scarlet cap, and with pistols on the holster 
before her. It was, indeed, no other than the Robber 
maiden, who, weary of her home in the forest, was 
going on her travels, first to the North, and afterwards 
to other parts of the world. She at once recognised 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


201 


Gerda, and Gerda had not forgotten her. Most joy- 
ful was their greeting ! 

“ A fine gentleman you are, to be sure, you grace- 
less young truant ! ” said she to Kay ; “ I should 
like to know if you deserved that any one should be 
running to the end of the world on your account ! ” 

But Gerda stroked her cheeks, and asked after the 
Prince and Princess. 

“ They are gone travelling into foreign countries,” 
replied the Robber maiden. 

“ And the Raven ? ” asked Gerda. 

“ Ah ! the Raven is dead,” returned she. “ The 
tame beloved has become a widow ; so she hops 
about with a piece of black worsted wound round 
her leg ; she moans most piteously, and chatters 
more than ever ! But tell me now all that has hap- 
pened to you, and how you managed to pick up your 
old playfellow.” 

And Gerda and Kay told their story. 

“ Snip-snap-snurre-basselurre ! ” said the Robber 
maiden ; she pressed the hands of both ; — promised 
that if ever she passed through their town she would 
pay them a visit, and then bade them farewell, and 
rode away out into the wide world. 

Kay and Gerda walked on hand in hand, and 
wherever they went it was spring, beautiful spring, 
with its bright flowers and green leaves. 


202 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


They arrived at a large town* the church bells 
were ringing merrily, and they immediately recog- 
nised the high towers rising into the sky — it was 
the town wherein they had lived. Joyfully they 
passed through the streets, joyfully they stopped at 
the door of Gerda’s grandmother. They walked up 
the stairs and entered the well-known room. The 
clock said, “ Tick, tick ! ” and the hands moved as 
before ; only one alteration could they find, and 
that was in themselves, for they saw that they were 
now full-grown persons. The rose trees on the roof 
blossomed in front of the open window, and there 
beneath them stood the children’s stools. Kay and 
Gerda went and sat down upon them, still holding 
each other by the hands ; the cold, hollow splendour 
of the Snow Queen’s palace they had forgotten, it 
seemed to them only an unpleasant dream. The 
grandmother, meanwhile, sat amid God’s bright sun- 
shine, and read from the Bible these words : “ Un- 
less ye become as little children, ye shall not enter 
into the kingdom of heaven.” 

And Kay and Gerda gazed on each other ; they 
now understood the words of their hymn : — 

“ Oar roses bloom and fade away, 

Our Infant Lord abides alway ! 

May we be blessed His face to see, 

And ever little children be ! ” 


THE SNOW QUEEN 


203 


There they sat, those two happy ones, grown up 
and yet children — children in heart, while all 
around them glowed bright summer — warm, glo- 


rious summer. 


HOLGER 0 THE DANE 


“ There is in Denmark an old castle called Kron- 
borg° ; it stands close by the Sound of Elsinore , 0 
where every day large ships, English, Russian, and 
Prussian, may be seen sailing along. And as they 
pass the old castle, they salute it with their cannons, 
‘ Boom ! ’ — and the castle answers with its cannons, 
4 Boom ! ’ This is the same as saying, 4 Good day ! ’ 
and 4 Thank you!’ No ships sail past during the 
winter, for then the Sound is covered with ice, and 
becomes a very broad highway leading from Den- 
mark to Sweden ; the Danish and Swedish flags 
flutter overhead, and Danes and Swedes walk and 
drive to and fro — meet and say to each other 4 Good 
day ! ’ 4 Thank you ! ’ — not with the report of can- 
nons, but with a hearty, friendly shake of the hands ; 
and they buy wheaten bread and biscuits of each 
other, because every one fancies foreign bread the 
best. But the glory of the scene is still the old 
Kronborg, and beneath, in those dark, tremendous 
caverns, where no man can approach, sits Holger the 
Dane. He is clothed in iron and steel, he rests his 
204 


HOLGER THE DANE 


205 


head on his sinewy arms, his long beard hangs over 
the marble table, into which it seems to have grown 
fast. There he sleeps and dreams, and in his dreams 
he sees all that is going on up in Denmark. Every 
Christmas eve an angel of God comes to him, and 
tells him that he has dreamt truly, and that he may 
sleep on, for Denmark is in no danger. But when- 
ever danger shall threaten her, then will Holger the 
Dane arise in his might, and as he disengages his 
beard, the marble table will burst in twain ! — then 
will he come forth and fight in such wise that all the 
countries of the world shall ring with the fame 
thereof ! ” 

All this about Holger the Dane was told one even- 
ing by an old grandfather to his little grandson, and 
the boy was sure that all that his grandfather said 
must be true. Now this old man was a carver, one 
of those whose employment is to carve the beaks of 
ships, and as he sat talking to the little boy, he cut 
out of wood a large figure intended to represent Hol- 
ger the Dane. There he was with his long beard, 
standing so proudly erect, holding in one hand his 
broad battle-sword, and leaning the other on his 
Danish coat-of-arms. 

And the old grandfather told so many anecdotes 
about different men and women famed in Danish 
history, that at last the little boy began to imagine 


206 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


he must know quite as much as Holger the Dane, 
for he could only dream about these things ; and 
after the child had gone to bed, he still thought 
over what he had heard, and pressed his chin down 
into the mattress, fancying that he, too, had a long 
beard, and that it had grown into the bed. 

But the old grandfather still sat at his work, carv- 
ing the Danish coat-of-arms, and when he had finished 
it, he looked at the whole figure, and thought over 
all that he had heard, and read, and told that evening 
to the little boy. He nodded his head, and wiped 
his spectacles, and then put them on again, saying, 
“ Ah, yes, Holger the Dane will certainly not come 
in my time, but the boy in the bed yonder, he, per- 
chance, may see him and stand beside him in the hour 
of need.” And again the old grandfather nodded 
his head, and the more he looked at his Holger the 
Dane, the more he felt persuaded that this was a very 
good figure that he had just made. He could almost 
fancy it had colour, and that the armour shone like 
real iron and steel ; the hearts on the Danish arms 
grew redder and redder, and the lions, with their 
gold crowns, sprang forward fiercely — so it seemed 
— while he looked at them. 

“Surely this is the prettiest coat-of-arms in the 
world!” said the old man. “The lions denote 
strength, and the hearts symbolise mildness and 


HOLGER THE DANE 


207 


love.” He looked on the uppermost lion, and 
thought of King Canute , 0 who subjected proud 
England to Denmark’s throne. He looked at the 
second lion, and then remembered Waldemar , 0 who 
gathered the Danish states into one, and vanquished 
the Vends . 0 He looked at the third lion, and thought 
of Margaret , 0 who united the crowns of Denmark, 
Sweden, and Norway. He looked at the red hearts, 
and they seemed to shine brighter than ever ; they 
were changed into moving flames, and his thoughts 
followed each flame. 

The first flame led him into a dark, narrow dun- 
geon, wherein sat a captive, a beautiful woman. It 
was Eleanora Ulfeld , 0 the daughter of Christian the 
Fourth 0 ; the flame settled upon her bosom, and 
bloomed like a rose above the heart of that noblest 
and best of all Danish women. 

“ Yes, that is one heart in DenmarkV standard ! ” 
quoth the old grandfather. 

And his thoughts followed the second flame, and 
it led him to the sea, where the cannons roared and 
the ships lay wrapped in smoke ; and the flame rested, 
like the badge of an order of knighthood, upon Hvit- 
feldt’s 0 breast, just when, to save the fleet, he blew up 
himself and his ship. 

And the third flame led him into Greenland’s 
wretched huts, where stood the priest, Hans Egede,° 


208 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


with love in his words and deeds, and the flame 
shone like a star upon his breast, pointing to the 
third heart in the Danish standard. 

And the old grandfather’s thoughts preceded the 
fourth flame, for he knew well whither that hovering 
torch-light would lead. In the peasant woman’s 
lonely chamber stood Frederick the Sixth, 0 writing 
his name with chalk on the rafters ; the flame 
flickered about his bosom, flickered in his heart, — 
it was in that peasant’s cot that his heart became a 
heart for Denmark’s arms. And the old grandfather 
wiped his eyes, for he had known and served King 
Frederick of the silver-white hair and kind blue eyes, 
and he folded his hands and gazed before him in 
silence. J ust then the old man’s daughter-in-law came 
up and reminded him that it was late, and time for 
him to rest, and that the board was spread for supper. 

“ But what a beautiful figure you have made, grand- 
father ! ” said she. “ Holger the Dane, and our old 
coat-of-arms° complete ! I fancy I have seen this face 
before.” 

“No, that you have not,” replied the old man, 
“but I have seen it, and I have tried to cut it in 
wood, just as I remember it. It was on the 2d of 
April 0 when the English fleet lay off the coast, when 
we showed ourselves to be Danes of the true old 
breed ! I was of Steen Bille’s 0 squadron ; I stood on 


HOLGER THE DANE 


209 


the deck of the Denmark. There was a man by my 
side — it really seemed that the cannon balls feared 
and shunned him ! So merrily he sang the fine old 
battle songs, and fired and fought as if he were more 
than mortal. I can recall his face even now ; but 
whence he came or whither he went, I knew not ; 
indeed, no one knew. I have often thought it must 
have been Holger the Dane himself, and that he had 
swum down from Kronborg to help us in the hour of 
danger ; that was only my fancy, perhaps — at any 
rate, here stands his likeness.” 

And the figure cast its huge shadow up the wall, 
even to the ceiling, and the shadow seemed to move 
too, just as though the real living Holger the Dane 
were actually present in the room ; but this might 
be because the flame of the candle flickered so un- 
steadily. And his son’s wife, kissed the old grand- 
father, and led him to the large arm-chair at the 
table, where she and her husband, who of course was 
son to the old grandfather and father to the little 
boy in bed, sat down to eat their evening meal. 
And the old grandfather talked the while about the 
Danish lions and the Danish hearts, and about the 
strength and gentleness they were meant to typify. 
And he showed how that there was another kind of 
strength, quite different from that which lies in the 
sword, pointing, as he spoke, to the shelf where a 


210 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


few old, well-read, well-worn books were lying, 
among them Holberg’s comedies, — those comedies 
which people take up and read again and again, 
because they are so charmingly written that all 
the characters described in them seem as well known 
to you as persons you have lived with all your life. 

“ You see he, too, knew how to carve,” remarked 
the old man ; “ he could carve out people’s humours 
and caprices.” And then the old grandfather nodded 
at the looking-glass, over which the almanack, with 
the “ Round Tower 0 ” on its cover, was stuck, saying, 
“ Tycho Brahe , 0 he again — he was one of those who 
used the sword — not to cut into human flesh and 
bone, but to make clear a plain highway among all 
the stars of heaven ! And then he, whose father 
was of my own craft, the old carver’s son, he with 
the white hair and broad shoulders, whom we our- 
selves have seen, he whose fame is in all countries of 
the earth ! he, to be sure, could sculpture in stone, — 
I can only carve wood. Ah, yes, Holger the Dane 
conies to us in many different ways, that all the world 
may hear of Denmark’s strength ! Now, shall we 
drink Bertel Thorwaldsen’s 0 health ?” 

But the little boy in bed, all this while, saw dis- 
tinctly before him the ancient castle of Kronborg, 
standing alone above the Sound of Elsinore, and the 
real Ilolger the Dane sitting in the caverns under- 


HOLGER THE DANE 


211 


ground, with liis beard grown fast into the marble 
table, and dreaming of all that happens in the world 
above him. And Holger the Dane, among other 
things, dreamt of the narrow, meanly furnished 
chamber wherein sat the wood carver ; he heard all 
that was said there, and bowed his head in his dream, 
saying : — 

“ Yes, remember me still, good Danish people ! 
Bear me in mind ! I will not fail to come in your 
hour of need ! ” 

And the sun shone brightly on Kronborg’s 0 
towers, and the wind wafted the notes of the hunt- 
er’s horn across from the neighbour country, the 
ships sailed past and saluted the castle — “ Boom, 
boom ! ” and Kronborg returned in answer — 
“ Boom, boom ! ” But, loud as their cannons roared, 
Holger the Dane awaked not yet, for they did but 
mean, “ Good day ! ” and “ Thank you ! ” 

The cannons must mean something very different 
from that before he will awake ; yet awake he will, 
when there is need, for worth and strength dwell in 
Holger the Dane. 


TOMMELISE 


Once upon a time there lived a young wife who 
longed exceedingly to possess a little child of her 
own ; so she went to an old witch-woman and said to 
her, “ I wish so very much to have a child — a little 
tiny child — won’t you give me one, old mother ? ” 
“ Oh, with all my heart ! ” replied the witch. 
“ Here is a barley-corn for you ; it is not exactly of 
the same sort as those that grow on the farmer’s 
fields, or that are given to the fowls in the poultry- 
yard, but do you sow it in a flower-pot, and then 
you shall see what you shall see ! ” 

“ Thank you, thank you ! ” cried the woman, and 
she gave the witch a silver sixpence, and then, hav- 
ing returned home, sowed the barley-corn, as she had 
been directed, whereupon a large and beautiful flower 
immediately shot forth from the flower-pot. It looked 
like a tulip, but the petals were tightly folded up, — 
it was still in bud. 

“ What a lovely flower ! ” exclaimed the peasant 
woman, and she kissed the pretty red and yellow 
212 


TOMMELISE 


213 


leaves, and as she kissed them the flower gave a loud 
report and opened. It was indeed a tulip, but on 
the small green pointal in the centre of the flower 
there sat a little tiny girl, so pretty and delicate, but 
her whole body scarcely bigger than the young peas- 
ant’s thumb. So she called her Tommelise. 

A pretty varnished walnut shell was given her as a 
cradle, blue violet leaves served as her mattresses, 
and a rose leaf was her coverlet. Here she slept at 
night ; but in the day-time she played on the table. 
The peasant-wife had filled a plate with water, and 
laid flowers in it, their blossoms bordering the edge 
of the plate while the stalks lay in the water ; on the 
surface floated a large tulip leaf, and on it Tommelise 
might sit and sail from one side of the plate to the 
other, two white horse-hairs having been given her 
for oars. That looked quite charming ! And Tom- 
melise could sing too, and she sang in such low, sweet 
tones as never were heard before. 

One night, while she was lying in her pretty bed, 
a great ugly toad came hopping in through the 
broken window-pane. The toad was such a great 
creature, old and withered-looking, and wet too ; she 
hopped at once down upon the table where Tommelise 
lay sleeping under the red rose petal. 

“ That is just the wife for my son,” said the Toad ; 
and she seized hold of the walnut shell, with Tom- 


214 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


melise in it, and hopped away with her through the 
broken pane down into the garden. 

Here flowed a broad stream ; its banks were muddy 
and swampy, and it was amongst this mud that the 
old Toad and her son dwelt. 

Ugh, how hideous and deformed he was ! just like 
his mother. “ Coax, coax, brekke-ke-kex ! ” was all 
he could find to say on seeing the pretty little maiden 
in the walnut shell. 

“ Don’t make such a riot, or you’ll wake her,” said 
old Mother Toad. “ She may easily run away from 
us, for she is as light as a swan-down feather. I’ll 
tell you what we’ll do ; we’ll take her out into the 
brook, and set her down on one of the large water- 
lily leaves, it will be like an island to her, who is so 
light and small. Then she cannot run away from 
us, and we can go and get ready the state rooms 
down urider the mud, where you and she are to 
dwell together.” 

Out in the brook there grew many water-lilies, 
with their broad green leaves, each of which seemed 
to be floating over the water. The leaf which was 
the farthest from the shore was also the largest,; to it 
swam old Mother Toad, and on it she set the walnut 
shell, with Tom melise. 

The poor little tiny creature awoke quite early 
next morning, and, when she saw where she was, she 


TOMMELISE 


215 


began to weep most bitterly, for there was nothing 
but water on all sides of the large green leaf, and 
she could in no way reach the land. 

Old Mother Toad was down in the mud, decorat- 
ing her apartment with bulrushes and yellow butter- 
cups, so as to make it quite gay and tidy to receive 
her new daughter-in-law. At last she and her fright- 
ful son swam together to the leaf where she had left 
Tommelise. They wanted to fetch her pretty cradle, 
and place it for her in the bridal chamber, before she 
herself was conducted into it. Old Mother Toad 
bowed low in the water, and said to her, “ Here is 
my son ; he is to be thy husband ; and you will dwell 
together so comfortably down in the mud ! ” 

“ Coax, coax, brekke-ke-kex ! ” was all that her 
son could say. 

Then they took the neat little bed and swam away 
with it, whilst Tommelise sat alone on the green leaf, 
weeping, for she did not like the thought of living 
with the withered old Toad, and having her . ugly 
son for a husband. The little fishes that were swim- 
ming to and fro in the water beneath had heard what 
Mother Toad had said, so they now put up their 
heads, — they wanted to see the little maid. And 
when they saw her, they were charmed with her deli- 
cate beauty, and it vexed them very much that the 
hideous old Toad should carry her off. No, that 


216 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


should never be ! They surrounded the green stalk • 
in the water, whereon rested the water-lily leaf, and 
gnawed it asunder with their teeth, and then the 
leaf floated away down the brook, with Tommelise 
on it, — away, far away, where the old Toad could 
not follow. . 

Tommelise sailed past so many places, and the 
wild birds among the bushes saw her and sang, “ Oh, 
what a sweet little maiden ! ” On and on, farther 
and farther, floated the leaf: Tommelise was on her 
travels. 

A pretty little white butterfly kept fluttering 
round and round her, and at last settled down on 
the leaf, for he loved Tommelise very much, and she 
was so pleased. There was nothing to trouble her, 
now that she had no fear of the old Toad pursuing 
her, and wherever she sailed everything was so beau- 
tiful, for the sun shone down on the water, making 
it bright as liquid gold. And now she took off her 
sash, and tied one end of it round the butterfly, j 
fastening the other end firmly into the leaf. On 
floated the leaf, faster and faster, and Tommelise 
with it. 

Presently a great Cock Chafer 0 came buzzing past ; 
he caught sight of her, and immediately fastening 
his claw round her slender waist, flew up into a tree 
with her. But the green leaf still floated down the 


TOMMELISE 


217 


brook, and the butterfly with it ; he was bound to 
the leaf, and could not get loose. 

Oh, how terrified was poor Tommelise when the 
Cock Chafer carried her up into the tree ! and how 
sorry she felt, too, for the darling white butterfly 
which she had left tied fast to the leaf ! she feared 
that, if he could not get away, he would perish of 
hunger. But the Cock Chafer cared nothing for that. 
He settled with her upon the largest leaf in the tree, 
gave her some honey from the flowers to eat, and 
hummed her praises, telling her she was very pretty, 
although she was not at all like a Hen Chafer. And 
by-and-by all the Chafers who lived in that tree 
came to pay her a visit; they looked at Tommelise, 
and one Miss Hen Chafer drew in her feelers, saying, 
“ She has only two legs ; how miserable that looks ! ” 
“ She has no feelers ! ” cried another. “ And see how 
thin and lean her waist is; why, she is just like a 
human being ! ” observed a third. “ How very, very 
ugly she is ! ” at last cried all the Lady Chafers in 
chorus. The Chafer who had carried off Tommelise 
still could not persuade himself that she was other- 
wise than pretty, but, as all the rest kept repeating 
and insisting that she was ugly, he at last began to 
think they must be in the right, and determined to 
have nothing more to do with her; she might go 
wherever she would, for aught he cared, he said. 


218 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


And so the whole swarm flew down from the tree 
with her, and set her on a daisy : then she wept be- 
cause she was so ugly that the Lady Chafers would not 
keep company with her ; and yet Tommelise was the 
prettiest little creature that could be imagined, soft, 
and delicate, and transparent as the loveliest rose leaf. 

All the summer long poor Tommelise lived alone 
in the wide wood. She wove herself a bed of grass- 
straw, and hung it under a large burdock leaf, which 
sheltered her from the rain ; she dined off the honey 
from the flowers, and drank from the dew that every 
morning spangled the leaves and herblets around her. 
Thus passed the summer and autumn ; but then came j 
winter — the cold, long winter. All the birds who had 
sung so sweetly to her flew away, trees and flowers 
withered, the large burdock leaf, under which Tom- 
melise had lived, rolled itself up, and became a dry, 
yellow stalk, and Tommelise was fearfully cold, for j 
her clothes were wearing out, and she herself was so 
slight and frail ; poor little thing ! she was nearly ! 

frozen to death. It began to snow, and every light 
flake that fell upon her made her feel as we should 
if a whole shovelful of snow were thrown upon us ; 
for we are giants in comparison with a little creature 
only an inch long. She wrapped herself up in a 
withered leaf, but it gave her no warmth — she 
shuddered with cold. 


TOMMELISE 


219 


Close outside the wood, on the skirt of which 
Tommelise had been living, lay a large corn-field; 
but the corn had been carried away long ago, leaving 
only the dry, naked stubble standing up from the 
hard, frozen earth. It was like another wood to 
Tommelise, and oh, how she shivered with cold as 
she made her way through ! At last she came past 
the Field Mouse’s door; for the Field Mouse had 
made herself a little hole under the stubble, and 
there she dwelt snugly and comfortably, having a 
room full of corn, and a neat kitchen and store cham- 
ber besides. And poor Tommelise must now, play 
the beggar girl ; she stood at the door and begged 
for a little piece of a barley-corn, for she had had 
nothing to eat during two whole days. 

“ Thou poor little thing ! ” said the Field Mouse, 
who was indeed a thoroughly good-natured old crea- 
ture, 44 come into my warm room and dine with 
me.” 

And as she soon took a great liking to Tommelise, 
she proposed to her to stay. 44 You may dwell with 
me all the winter if you will, but keep my room clean 
and neat, and tell me stories, for I love stories 
dearly.” And Tommelise did all that the kind old 
Field Mouse required of her, and was made very 
comfortable in her new abode. 

44 We shall have a visitor presently,” observed the 


220 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


Field Mouse ; “ my next-door neighbour comes to 
see me once every week. He is better off than I am, 
has large rooms in his house, and wears a coat of such 
beautiful black velvet. It would be a capital thing 
for you if you could secure him for your husband ; 
but unfortunately he is blind, he cannot see you. 
You must tell him the prettiest stories you know.” 

But Tommelise did not care at all about pleasing 
their neighbour, Mr. Mole, nor did she wish to marry 
him. He came and paid a visit in his black velvet 
suit; he was so rich and so learned! and the Field 
Mouse declared his domestic offices were twenty 
times larger than hers ; but the sun and the pretty 
flowers he could not endure ; he was always abusing 
them, though he had never seen either. Tommelise 
was called upon to sing for his amusement, and by 
the time she had sung “ Lady-bird, lady -bird, fly 
away home ! ” and “ The Friar of Orders Grey,” the 
Mole had quite fallen in love with her through the 
charm of her sweet voice ; however, he said nothing, 
he was such a prudent, cautious animal. 

He had just been digging a long passage through 
the earth from their house to his, and he now gave 
permission to the Field Mouse and Tommelise to 
walk in it as often as they liked ; however, he bade 
them not be afraid of the dead bird that lay in the 
passage ; it was a whole bird, with beak and feathers 


TOMMELISE 


221 


entire, and therefore he supposed it must have died 
quite lately, at the beginning of the winter, and had 
been buried just in the place where he had dug his 
passage. 

The Mole took a piece of tinder, which shines like 
fire in the dark, in his mouth, and went on first to 
light his friends through the long, dark passage, and 
when they came to the place where the dead bird lay, 
he thrust his broad nose up against the ceiling and 
pushed up the earth, so as to make a great hole for 
the light to come through. In the midst of the floor 
lay a swallow, his wings clinging firmly to his sides, 
his head and legs drawn under the feathers ; the poor 
bird had evidently died of cold. Tommelise felt so 
very sorry, for she loved all the little birds who had 
sung and chirped so merrily to her the whole sum- 
mer long ; but the Mole kicked it with his short legs, 
saying: “Here’s a fine end to all its whistling! a 
miserable thing it must be to be born a bird I None 
of my children will be birds, that’s a comfort ! Such 
creatures have nothing but their c quivit,’ and must 
be starved to death in the winter.” 

“ Yes, indeed, a sensible animal like you may well 
say so,” returned the Field Mouse ; “ what has the 
bird got by all his chirping and chirruping? when 
winter comes it must starve and freeze ; and it is 
such a great creature too ! ” 


222 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


Tommelise said nothing, but when the two others 
had turned their backs upon the bird, she bent over 
it, smoothed down the feathers that covered its head, 
and kissed the closed eyes. 44 Perhaps it was this one 
that sang so delightfully to me in the summer time,” 
thought she ; “ how much pleasure it has given me, 
the dear, dear bird ! ” 

The Mole now stopped up the hole through which 
the daylight had pierced, and then followed the 
ladies home. But Tommelise could not sleep that 
night, so she got out of her bed and wove a carpet 
out of hay, and then went out and spread it round 
the dead bird ; she also fetched some soft cotton 
from the Field Mouse’s room, which she laid over 
the bird, that it might be warm amid the cold earth. 

44 Farewell, thou dear bird ! ” said she, 44 farewell ! 
and thanks for thy beautiful song in the summer 
time, when all the trees were green and the sun 
shone so warmly upon us ! ” And she pressed her 
head against the bird’s breast, but was terrified to 
feel something beating within it. It was the bird’s 
heart — the bird was not dead ; it had lain in a 
swoon, and now that it was warmer, its life returned. 

Every autumn all the swallows fly away to warm 
countries ; but if one of them lingers behind, it 
freezes and falls down as though dead, and the cold 
snow covers it. 


TOMMELISE 


223 


Tommelise trembled with fright, for the bird was 
very large compared with her, who was only an inch 
in length. However, she took courage, laid the cot- 
ton more closely round the poor swallow, and fetch- 
ing a leaf which had served herself as a coverlet, 
spread it over the bird’s head. 

The next night she stole out again, and found that 
the bird’s life had quite returned, though it was so 
feeble that only for one short moment could it open 
its eyes to look at Tommelise, who stood by with a 
piece of tinder in her hand — she had no other lantern. 
“Thanks to thee, thou sweet little child! ” said the 
sick Swallow. “ I feel delightfully warm now, soon I 
shall recover my strength, and be able to fly again, 
out in the warm sunshine.” 

“ Oh, no,” she replied, “it is too cold without; it 
snows and freezes ! thou must stay in thy warm 
bed ; I will take care of thee.” 

She brought the Swallow water in a flower-petal, 
and he drank, and then told her how he had torn 
one of his wings in a thorn bush, and therefore 
could not fly fast enough to keep up with the other 
swallows, who were all migrating to the warm coun- 
tries. He had at last fallen to the earth, and more 
than that he could not remember ; he did not at all 
know how he had got underground. 

However, underground he remained all the winter 


224 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


long, and Tommelise was kind to him, and loved him 
dearly, but she never said a word about him either to 
the Mole or the Field Mouse, for .she knew they could 
not endure the poor Swallow. 

As soon as the spring came, and the sun’s warmth 
had penetrated the earth, the Swallow said farewell to 
Tommelise, and she opened for him the covering of 
earth which the Mole had thrown back before. The 
sun shone in upon them so deliciousty, and the Swal- 
low asked whether she would not go with him ; she 
might sit upon his back, and then they would fly to- 
gether far out into the greenwood. But Tommelise 
knew it would vex the old Field Mouse, if she were to 
leave her. 

“ No, I cannot ; I must not go,” said Tomme- 
lise. 

“ Fare thee well, then, thou good and pretty 
maiden ! ” said the Swallow, and away he flew into 
the sunshine. Tommelise looked after him, and the 
tears came into her eyes, for she loved the poor 
Swallow so much. 

“ Quivit, quivit,” sang the bird, as he flew into the 
greenwood. 

And Tommelise was now sad indeed. She was 
not allowed to go out into the warm sunshine. The 
wheat that had been sown in the field above her 
Field Mouse’s house grew up so high that it seemed 


TOMMELISE 


225 


a perfect forest to the poor little damsel, who was 
only an inch in stature. 

“ This summer you must work at getting your 
wedding-clothes ready,” said the Field Mouse ; for 
their neighbour, the blind, dull Mole, in the black 
velvet suit, had now made his proposals in form 
to Tommelise. “ You shall have worsted and linen 
in plenty ; you shall be well provided with all man- 
ner of clothes and furniture, before you become the 
Mole’s wife.” 

So Tommelise was obliged to work hard at the 
distaff, and the Field Mouse hired four spiders to 
spin and weave night and day. Every evening came 
the Mole, and always began to talk about the sum- 
mer soon coming to an end, and that then — when 
the sun would no longer shine so warmly, scorching 
the earth till it was as dry as a stone — yes, then his 
nuptials with Tommelise should take place. But 
this sort of conversation did not please her at all ; 
she was thoroughly wearied of his dulness and his 
prating. Every morning, when the sun rose, and 
every evening when it set, she used to steal out at 
the door ; and when the wind blew the tops of the 
corn aside, so that she could see the blue sky through 
the opening, she thought how bright and beautiful 
it was out here, and wished most fervently to see the 
dear Swallow once more ; but he never came. He 


226 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


must have been flying far away in the beautiful 
greenwood. 

Autumn came, and Tommelise’s wedding-clothes 
were ready. 

“ Four weeks more, and you shall be married ! ” 
said the Field Mouse. But Tommelise wept, and 
said she would not marry the dull Mole. 

“ Fiddlestick ! ” exclaimed the Field Mouse ; “don’t 
be obstinate, child, or 1 shall bite thee with my white 
teeth ! Is he not handsome, pray ? Why, the Queen 
has not got such a black velvet dress as he wears ! 
And isn’t he rich — rich both in kitchens and cel- 
lars ? Be thankful to get such a husband ! ” 

So Tommelise must be married. The day fixed 
had arrived, the Mole had already come to fetch his 
bride, and she must dwell with him, deep under the 
earth, never again to come out into the warm sun- 
shine, which she loved so much, and which he could 
not endure. The poor child was in despair at the 
thought that she must now bid a last farewell to the 
beautiful sun, of which she had at least been allowed 
to catch a glimpse every now and then while she 
lived with the Field Mouse. 

“ Farewell, thou glorious sun ! ” she cried, throw- 
ing her arms up into the air, and she walked on a 
little way beyond the Field Mouse’s door. The corn 
was already reaped, and only the dry stubble sur- 


TOMMJELISE 


227 


rounded her. “Farewell, farewell!” repeated she 
as she clasped her tiny arms round a little red flower 
that grew there. “ Greet the dear Swallow from me, 
if thou shouldest see him.” 

“ Quivit, quivit ! ” — there was a fluttering of wings 
just over her head : she looked up, and behold ! 
the little Swallow was flying past. And how pleased 
he was when he perceived Tommelise ! She told 
how that she had been obliged to accept the disagree- 
able Mole as a husband, and that she would have 
to dwell deep underground, where the sun never 
pierced. And she could not help weeping as she 
spoke. 

“The cold winter will soon be here,” said the 
Swallow ; “I shall fly far away to the warm coun- 
tries. Wilt thou go with me ? Thou canst sit on 
my back, and tie thyself firmly to me with thy sash, 
and thus we shall fly away from the stupid Mole and 
his dark room, far away over the mountains, to 
those countries where the sun shines so brightly, 
where it is always summer, and flowers blossom all 
the year round. Come and fly with me, thou sweet 
little Tommelise, who didst save my life when I lay 
frozen in the dark cellars of the earth ! ” 

“ Yes, I will go with thee ! ” said Tommelise. 
And she seated herself on the bird’s back, her feet 
resting, on the outspread wings, and tied her girdle 


228 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


firmly round one of the strongest feathers ; and then 
the Swallow soared high into the air, and flew away 
over forest and over lake — over mountains whose 
crests are covered with snow all the year round. 
How Tommelise shivered as she breathed the keen, 
frosty air ! However, she soon crept down under 
the bird’s warm feathers, her head still peering forth, 
eager to behold all the glory and beauty beneath her. 

At last they reached the warm countries. There 
the sun shone far more brightly than in her native 
clime. The heavens seemed twice as high, and twice 
as blue ; and ranged along the sloping hills grew, 
in rich luxuriance, the loveliest green and purple 
grapes. Citrons and melons were seen in the groves, 
the fragrance of myrtles and balsams filled the air ; 
and by the wayside gambolled groups of pretty, 
merry children chasing large, bright- winged butter- 
flies. But the Swallow did not rest here ; still he 
flew on ; and still the scene seemed to grow more 
and more beautiful. Near a calm blue lake, over- 
hung by lofty trees, stood a half-ruined palace of 
white marble, built in times long past ; vine-wreaths 
trailed up the long, slender, pillars, and on the capitals, 
among the green leaves and waving tendrils, many a 
swallow had built his nest, and one of these nests 
belonged to the Swallow on whose back Tommelise 
was riding. 


TOMMELISE 


229 


“ This is my house,” said the Swallow ; “ but if 
thou wouldest rather choose for thyself one of the 
splendid flowers growing beneath us, I will take 
thee there, and thou shalt make thy home in the 
loveliest of them all.” 

“ That will be charming ! ” exclaimed she, clap- 
ping her tiny hands. 

On the green turf beneath, there la}^ the frag- 
ments of a white marble column which had fallen to 
the ground, and around these fragments twined some 
beautiful large white flowers. The Swallow flew 
down with Tommelise, and set her on one of the 
broad petals. But what was her surprise when she 
saw sitting in the very heart of the flower a little 
mannikin, fair and transparent as though he were 
made of glass, wearing the prettiest gold crown on 
his head, and the brightest, most delicate wings 
on his shoulders, yet scarcely one whit larger than 
Tommelise herself. He was the Spirit of the flower. 
In every blossom there dwelt one such fairy youth 
or maiden, but this one was the king of all these 
Flower spirits. 

“ Oh, how handsome he is, this King ! ” whispered 
Tommelise to the Swallow. The fairy prince was 
quite startled at the sudden descent of the Swallow, 
who was a sort of giant compared with him ; but 
when he saw Tommelise he was delighted, for she 


230 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


was the very loveliest maiden he had ever seen. 
So he took his gold crown off his own head and 
set it upon hers, asked her name, and whether she 
would be his bride and reign as queen over all 
the Flower spirits. This, you see, was quite a 
different bridegroom from the son of the ugly old 
Toad, or the blind Mole with his black velvet coat. 
So Tommelise replied “ Yes ” to the beautiful prince ; 
and then the lady and gentleman fairies came out, 
each from a separate flower, to pay their homage 
to Tommelise ; so gracefully and courteously they 
paid their homage ! and every one of them brought 
her a present. But the best of all the presents 
was a pair of transparent wings ; they were fast- 
ened on Tommelise’s shoulders, and enabled her 
to fly from flower to flower. That was the greatest 
of pleasures ! and the little Swallow sat in his nest 
above and sang to her his sweetest song ; in his 
heart, however, he was very sad, for he loved Tom- 
melise, and would have wished never to part from 
her. 

“Thou shaft no longer be called Tommelise,” said 
the King of the Flowers to her, “ for it is not a 
pretty name, and thou art so lovely ! We will call 
thee Maia.” 

“Farewell! farewell!” sang the Swallow, and 
away he flew from the warm countries far away 


, TOMMELISE 


231 


back to Denmark. There he had a little nest 
just oyer the window of the man who writes 
stories for children. “ Quivit ! quivit ! quivit ! ” 
he sang to him, and from him we have learned this 
history. 


GREAT CLAUS AND LITTLE CLAUS 

Once upon a time there lived in the same village 
two men bearing the very same name ; one of them 
chanced to possess four horses, the other had only 
one horse. So, by way of distinguishing them from 
each other, the proprietor of four horses was called 
“ Great Claus,” and he who owned but one horse 
was known as “Little Claus.” And now we shall 
relate their true and veritable history. 

All the week long Little Claus had to plough for 
Great Claus, and to lend him his one horse, and in 
return Great Claus lent him his four horses, but 
only for one day in the week, and that day was Sun- 
day. Hurrah ! a proud man then was Little Claus ; 
and how he brandished his whip over his five horses ! 
for all five were his, he thought, for this one day at 
least. And the sun shone so brightly, and all the 
bells in the church-tower were ringing, the people 
were dressed in their best and walking to church, 
and as they passed they looked at Little Claus, who 
was driving his five horses, and he was so pleased 
that he kept cracking his whip again and again, 
232 


GREAT CLAUS AND LITTLE CLAUS 


233 


crying out the while, “ Hip, hip, hurrah ! five fine 
horses, and all of them mine.” 

“ You must not say that,” observed Great Claus ; 
“ only one of the horses is yours ; you know that 
well enough.” 

But when another party of church-goers passed 
close by him, Little. Claus quite forgot that he had 
been told he must not say so, and cried out again, 
“ Hip, hip, hurrah ! five fine horses, all mine ! ” 

“Did not I tell you to hold your tongue?” ex- 
claimed Great Claus, very angrily. “ If you say 
that again, I’ll give your one horse such a blow on 
the forehead as shall strike him dead on the spot, 
and then there’ll soon be an end to your boasting 
about your five fine horses ! ” 

“ Oh, but I’ll never say it again, indeed I won’t ! ” 
said Little Claus, and he quite intended to keep his 
word. But presently some more people came by, 
and when they nodded a friendly “ good morning ” 
to him he was so delighted, and it seemed to him 
such a grand thing to have five horses to plough 
his bit of a field, that he really could not contain 
himself ; he flourished his whip aloft and shouted 
out, “ Hip, hip, hurrah ! five fine horses, every one 
of them mine ! ” 

“ I’ll soon cure you of that ! ” cried Great Claus, 
in a fury, and, taking up a large stone, he flung it 


234 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


at the head of Little Claus’ horse — so heavy was 
the stone that the poor creature fell down dead. 

“ Alas, now I have no horses at all ! ” cried Little 
Claus, and he began to weep. As soon as he had 
recovered himself a little, he set to work to flay the 
skin off his dead horse, dried the skin thoroughly 
in the air, and then putting it into a sack, he flung 
the sack across his shoulders, and set out on his way 
to the nearest town, intending to sell the skin. 

He had a long way to go, and the road led him 
through a large and thickly grown wood. And 
here a violent tempest burst forth. The clouds, the 
rain, and the dark firs, bowed to and fro by the 
wind, so bewildered poor Claus that he lost his path, 
and before he could recover it evening had darkened 
into night. He could neither return homewards nor 
get on to the town. 

However, not far off stood a large farmhouse ; 
the window shutters were closed, but Little Claus 
could see lights shining out through the cracks. 
“ Perhaps I may get shelter there,” thought he ; 
so he went up to the house, and knocked at the 
door. 

The farmer’s wife came and opened it to him, but 
when she heard what he wanted, she very obligingly 
told him he must go and ask elsewhere. He shouldn’t 
come into her house ; her good man was from home, 


GREAT CLAUS AND LITTLE CLAUS 


235 


and she couldn’t be receiving strangers in his 
absence. 

“Well, then, I must .sleep outside, under this 
stormy sky,” replied Little Claus, and the farmer’s 
wife shut the door in his face. 

Close by stood a haystack, and between it and the 
house there was a little penthouse with a flat straw roof. 

“ I’ll get up there,” said Little Claus to himself, 
on perceiving this ; “ it will make me a capital bed. 
Only I do hope the stork yonder may not take it 
into his head to fly down and bite my legs.” For 
a stork had made his nest on the roof, and had 
mounted guard beside the nest, as wide awake as 
could be, although it was night. 

So Little Claus crept up on the penthouse, and 
there he turned and twisted about till he had made 
himself a right comfortable couch. The window- 
shutters did -not close properly at the top, so that 
from his high and airy position he could see all that 
went on in the room. 

There he saw a large table spread with bread and 
wine, roast meat and fried fish ; the farmer’s wife 
and the sexton sat at table — no one else was there. 
The farmer’s wife was pouring out a glass of wine 
for the sexton, who meantime was eagerly helping 
himself to a large slice of the fish — he happened to 
be particularly fond of fish. 


236 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


“ Too bad, really, to keep it all to themselves ! ” 
sighed Little Claus. “ If they would but give me 
a little, wee morsel ! ” and he stretched out his head 
as near to the window as he could. Oh, what a 
magnificent cake he could see now ! Why, this 
was quite a banquet ! 

Presently he heard the sound of hoof-tramps ap- 
proaching from the road. It was the farmer riding 
home. 

A regularly good-hearted fellow was this farmer, 
but he had one peculiar weakness, namely, that he 
never could endure to see a sexton — the sight made 
him half mad. Now, the sexton of the neighbouring 
town happened to be first cousin to his wife, and 
they were old playmates and good friends. So, this 
evening, knowing that the farmer would be from 
home, he had come to pay his cousin a visit, and the 
good woman, being very pleased to see him, had 
brought out all the choice things in her larder 
wherewith to regale him. But now, as, while they 
were sitting together so comfortably, they heard the 
tramp of the farmer’s horse, they both started up, 
and the woman bade the sexton creep into a large 
empty chest that stood in a corner of the room. 
He did so, for he knew that the poor farmer would 
be almost driven wild, if he came in and saw a 
sexton standing unexpectedly before him. And the 


GREAT CLAUS AND LITTLE CLAUS 


237 


farmer’s wife then made a great bustle to hide all 
the wine and the dishes inside her baking-oven, for 
fear her husband, if he saw the table spread with 
them, should ask for whom she had been preparing 
such a grand entertainment. 

“ Oh dear ! oh dear ! ” sighed Little Claus from 
his couch on the penthouse, when he saw the feast 
all put on one side. 

“Anybody up there?” inquired the farmer, on 
hearing the voice ; and he looked up and perceived 
Little Claus. “ Why are you lying there ? Come 
down into the house with me.” 

And Little Claus explained that he had lost his 
way, and asked the farmer if he would not give him 
shelter for the night. 

“To be sure I will,” replied the good-natured 
man. “ Come in quickly, and let’s have something 
to eat.” 

The woman received them both with a great show 
of welcome, covered one end of the long table, and 
brought out a large dish of oatmeal. The farmer 
set to with a capital appetite, but Little Claus could 
not eat for thinking of the good roast meat, the fish, 
the wine, and the delicious cake which he had seen 
stowed away inside the oven. 

He had put his sack containing the horse’s skin 
under the table, and now, as he could not relish the 


238 


ANDERSEN’ S FAIRY TALES 


oatmeal porridge, he began trampling the sack 
under his feet till the dry skin creaked aloud. 

“ Hush ! ” muttered Little Claus, as if speaking 
to his sack, but at . the same moment he trod upon 
it again, so as to make it creak louder than before. 

“ What have you got in your sack ? ” asked the 
farmer. 

“Oh! I’ve got a little conjuror there,” replied 
Little Claus, “ and he says we are not to be eating 
oatmeal porridge any longer, for he has conjured a 
feast of beefsteak, fried fish, and cake into the oven 
on purpose for us.” 

“A conjuror, did you say?” exclaimed the 
farmer, and up he got in a vast hurry to look into 
the oven and see whether the conjuror had spoken 
truly. And there, to be sure ! were fish, and steak, 
and cake ; the conjuror had been as good as his word. 
The farmer’s wife durst not utter a syllable of ex- 
planation; almost as much bewildered as her hus- 
band, she set the viands on the table, and the farmer 
and his guest began with a hearty appetite to eat 
of the good cheer before them. 

Presently Little Claus trampled on his sack again, 
and again made the skin creak. 

“ What does your conjuror say now ? ” asked the 
farmer. 

“ He says,” replied Little Claus, “ that he has also 


GREAT CL A US AND LITTLE CLAUS 


239 


conjured three bottles of wine here for us ; you will 
find them standing just in the corner of the oven.” 
So the woman was now obliged to bring out the wine 
that she had concealed, and the farmer poured him- 
self out a glass and began to think it would be a 
fine thing to have such a capital conjuror as this. 

44 A right proper sort of conjuror, this of yours ! ” 
observed he, at last. “I should rather like to see 
him : will he let me, do you think ? ” 

44 Oh, of course,” returned Little Claus ; 44 my con- 
juror will do anything I ask him. That you will, 
won’t you ? ” asked he, again treading on his sack. 
“ Didn’t you hear him say 4 Yes ’ ? But I warn you, 
he will look somewhat dark and unpleasing ; — after 
all, it is scarcely worth while to see him ! ” 

44 Oh, I shall not be afraid, — what will he look 
like ? ” 

44 Why, he will appear for all the world just like a 
sexton.” 

44 A sexton ! ” repeated the farmer ; 44 that is a pity! 
You must know that I cannot endure the sight of- a 
sexton ; but no matter, since I shall know that it is 
not a real sexton, but only your conjuror, I shall not 
care about it. Oh, I’ve plenty of courage — only 
don’t let him come too near me ! ” 

44 Well, I’ll speak to my conjuror about it again,” 
said Little Claus, and he trod on his skin till he went 


240 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


“ creak, creak, creak,” and bent his ear down, as 
though to listen. 

“ What does he say now ? ” 

“ He says he will transport himself into yonder 
chest in the corner ; you have only to lift up the lid, 
and there you will see him ; but you must mind and 
shut the lid close down again.” 

“ Will you help me to hold up the lid ? it is very 
heavy,” said the farmer, and he went up to the chest 
wherein his wife had concealed the real sexton, who 
sat with his limbs huddled up, trembling, and hold- 
ing his breath, lest he should be discovered — cer- 
tainly in no very comfortable state. 

The farmer gently raised the lid of the chest and 
peeped under it. “ Ugh ! ” cried he, and immediately 
started back in affright. “ Oh dear ! oh dear ! I saw 
him, he looked exactly like our sexton in the town — 
oh, how horrible ! ” 

However, he sat down at table again, and began 
to drink glass after glass of wine, by way of recover- 
ing from the shock. The wine soon revived his 
fallen courage. Neither he nor his guest ever 
thought of going to bed ; there they sat, talking and 
feasting till late in the night. 

“Did you ever see your conjuror before?” in- 
quired the farmer of Claus. 

“ Not I,” replied Little Claus. 


u I should never 


GREAT CLAUS AND LITTLE CLAUS 


241 


have thought of asking him to show himself, if you 
had not proposed it. He knows he is not handsome; 
he does not wish to obtrude himself into any com- 
pany ; he talks to me, and I to him, and isn’t that 
enough ? ” 

“ Oh, indeed, it is ! ” rejoined the farmer, quickly. 
Then, after a minute’s hesitation, he went on, “ Do 
you know, I should like very much to have your 
conjuror ; would you mind selling him to me ? Name 
your own price ; I don’t care if I give you a whole 
bushelful of silver on the spot.” 

“Oh, how can you ask such a thing?” exclaimed 
Little Claus, “ such a useful, such a faithful servant 
as he is to me — how could I think of parting with 
him ? Why, he’s worth his weight in gold ten times 
over.” 

“ I can’t offer you gold,” replied the farmer, “but 
I should like so very much to have him ! — that is, pro- 
vided he would never show his ugly self to me again.” 

“ Oh, no fear of that,” said Little Claus ; “ and 
really, since you have been so kind as to give me 
shelter to-night, I do not think I can refuse you 
any request. I will let you have my conjuror for a 
bushel of silver, — only the bushel must be crammed 
full, you know.” 

“Certainly it shall,” answered the farmer; “and 
the chest yonder too, you shall have that into the 

R 


242 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


bargain. I don’t want it to remain an hour longer 
in the house ; it will always be reminding me of the 
odious sexton-face I saw inside it.” 

So the bargain was struck, and Little Claus gave 
the farmer his sack, with the dry skin in it, and re- 
ceived instead a whole bushelful of silver. The 
farmer also gave him a large wheelbarrow, where- 
with to carry home his money and his chest. 

“ Farewell ! ” said Little Claus, and away he drove 
the wheelbarrow, the unfortunate sexton still lying 
concealed in the chest. 

On the opposite side of the wood flowed a broad, 
deep river : the current was so strong that no one 
could swim against it, so a bridge had lately been 
built over it. Little Claus took his way over the 
bridge, but stopped short in the middle of it, saying, 
very loud, on purpose that the man in the chest might 
hear him, “ Now, what on earth can be the use of this 
great tumble-down chest to me ? and it’s as heavy, 
too, as if it were filled with stones ; it quite tires 
me out. I’ll fling it out into the river ; if it chooses 
to float homewards to me, well and good ; if not, it 
may let it alone ; all the same to me.” 

And he lifted the chest as though intending to 
throw it into the water. 

“ Oh, pray, don’t do that ! ” cried the sexton in the 
chest. “ Let me get out first, pray.” 


GREAT CLAUS AND LITTLE CLAUS 


243 


“ Holloa ! ” exclaimed Little Claus ; “ is the chest 
bewitched ? If so, the sooner it’s off my hands the 
better.” 

“ Oh, no, no ! ” cried the sexton. “ Let me out, 
and I’ll give you another whole bushelful of 
money.” 

“ Ah, that’s quite another ipatter,” said Little 
Claus ; and he immediately set down the chest, and 
lifted the lid. Out crept the sexton, greatly to his 
own satisfaction. He kicked the empty chest into 
the water, and then took Little Claus to his house 
with him, where he gave him the bushelful of money, 
as agreed. Little Claus had now a wheelbarrow full 
of money. 

“ Certainly I must own I have been well paid for 
my horse’s skin,” said he to himself, as he entered 
his own little room, and overturned all his money 
in a great heap on the floor. “ It will vex Great 
Claus, I’m afraid, when he finds out how rich my 
horse’s skin has made me.” 

And now he sent a little boy to Great Claus to 
borrow a measure of him. 

“What can he want with a measure, I wonder?” 
thought Great Claus, and he cunningly smeared the 
bottom of the measure with clay, hoping that some 
part of whatever was measured might cleave to the 
clay, And accordingly, when the measure was re- 


244 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


turned to him, he discovered three silver coins stick- 
ing at the bottom. 

“Fine doings, upon my word! ” exclaimed Great 
Claus, in amazement ; and off he set forthwith to the 
house of his namesake. “ Where did you get all that 
money ? ” thundered he. 

“ Oh, I got it by .my horse’s skin, which I sold yes- 
terday,” was the reply. 

“ Really ?” exclaimed Great Claus. “What, are 
horses’ skins so dear as that ? Who would have 
thought ? ” And he ran quickly home, took an axe, 
and struck all his four horses on the head with it, 
then flayed off the skins, and drove into the town. 

“ Skins, skins ! who will buy skins ?” cried he, as 
he passed through the streets. 

All the shoemakers and tanners in the town came 
running up to him, and asked his price. 

“ I will have a bushelful of money for each,” replied 
Great Claus. 

“ Are you mad ? ” cried they. “ Do you think we 
reckon our money by bushels ? ” 

“ Skins, fresh skins ! who will buy skins ? ” shouted 
he again ; and still, to all who asked how much he 
wanted for them, he replied, “ A bushelful of money.” 

“ The rude boor ! he is trying to make fools of 
us,” declared one of his customers at last, in very 
great wrath. 


GREAT CLAUS AND LITTLE CLAUS 


245 


“ Skins, fresh skins, fine fresh skins ! V cried they 
all, mimicking him. “ Out of the town with him, the 
great ass ! or he shall have no skin left on his own 
shoulders.” And Great Claus was ignominiously 
thrust out of the town, and returned home in no very 
good humour. 

“ Little Claus shall pay for this,” muttered he. 
“ Sleep soundly this night, Little Claus, for thou shalt 
hardly wake again.” 

It so chanced that Little Claus’ grandmother died 
that same evening; she had always been very cross 
and ill-natured to him in her lifetime, but now, on 
finding her dead, he felt really sorry for her. He laid 
the dead woman in his own warm bed, in hopes that 
the warmth might bring her to life again; for his own 
part, he thought he could spend the night in a chair 
in a corner of the room — he had often done so before. 

About midnight the door opened, and Great Claus, 
his axe in his hand, came in. He knew well where 
Little Claus’ bed was wont to stand; he went straight 
up to it, and struck the dead grandmother a violent 
blow on the forehead. 

“There’s for you,” cried he; “now you’ll never 
make a fool of me again.” And herewith he went 
out of the room and returned home. 

“ What a very wicked man he is ! ” sighed Little 
Claus. “ So he wanted to kill me. It was a good 


246 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


thing that old grandmother was dead already, or that 
blow would have hurt very much.” 

The next day, in the evening, he met Great Claus 
in a lane near the village. Great Claus started back, 
and stared at him. “ What, aren’t you dead ? I 
thought I killed you last night.” 

“Yes, you wicked man! ” replied Little Claus, “I 
know you came into my room intending to kill me, 
but my grandmother, not I, was lying in my bed; it 
was she that you struck with your pick-axe, and you 
deserve to be hanged for it.” 

“ And are you going to tell people about it ? ” said 
Great Claus. “ That you never shall ! ” He was 
carrying a very large sack; he seized Little Claus 
by the waist and thrust him into the sack, crying 
out, “ I will drown thee at once, and that will be the 
end of thy tale-telling.” 

But he had a long way to walk before he reacted 
the river, and Little Claus was by no means a light 
burden. The road led past the church, the organ 
was playing, for the service had just begun. Among 
the congregation Great Claus saw a man he wanted 
to speak to. u Little Claus cannot get out of the sack 
by himself,” thought he, “ and no one can help him, 
for all the people are in church. I can just go in and 
call that man back into the porch for a minute.” So 
he set down the heavy sack and ran into the church. 


GREAT CLAUS AND LITTLE CLAUS 


247 


“ Oh dear ! oh dear ! ” sighed Little Claus, inside 
the sack ; he turned and twisted in vain, it was not 
possible for him to get the string loose. Just then a 
very, very old cattle driver passed by, his hair white 
as snow, and with a stout staff in his hand ; he was 
driving a large herd of cows and bullocks before him, 
many more than he, feeble as he was, could manage. 
One of them rushed up against the sack and turned it 
over and over. 

44 Oh, help me, pray! ” cried Little Claus. “ I am 
so young to die ; help me out of the sack.” 

“ What, is there a man in the sack ? ” and the 
ancient cattle driver bent down, though with some 
difficulty, and untied the string. “ The bullock has 
not hurt you, I hope ? ” But Little Claus sprang out 
so briskly as showed he was not hurt, and set himself 
immediately to rooting up the withered stump of a 
tree which stood by the roadside, and which he rolled 
into the sack ; then, tying the string, he placed the 
sack exactly as Great Claus had left it. The cattle 
had, meantime, passed on. 

“ Will you not drive these cattle home to the vil- 
lage for me ? ” asked the old man. 44 I am so weary, 
and I want to go into church so much.” 

44 Right gladly will I help you since you have helped 
me,” replied little Claus, and he took the cattle driver’s 
goad from his hand, and followed the herd in his stead. 


248 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


Presently Great Claus came running back again ; 
he took up the sack, and again Hung it across his 
shoulders, thinking, “ How much lighter the burden 
seems now ; it always does one good to rest for ever 
so short a time.” So on he trudged to the river, 
flung the sack out into the water, and shouted after 
it, “ There now, Little Claus, you shall never cheat 
me any more ! ” 

He then turned homewards, but, on passing a spot 
where several roads crossed, whom should he meet 
but Little Claus himself, with his herd of cattle ! 

“ How comes this ? ” exclaimed Great Claus. “ Is * 
it really you? Did not I drown you, then, after 
all ? ” 

“ I believe you meant to drown me,” said Little 
Claus ; “you threw me into the river just half an 
hour ago, did you not ? ” 

“ But how did you come by all these beautiful 
cattle ? ” asked Great Claus, in utter amazement, his 
eyes wandering admiringly from one to another of the 
herd. 

“ These are sea cattle,” said Little Claus. “Ah, I’ll 
tell you the whole story ! I am really much obliged 
to you for drowning me ; it has made me richer than 
ever, as you may see. I was so frightened when I 
lay in the sack, and the wind whistled so uncomfort- 
ably into my ears, when you threw me down from 


GREAT CLAUS AND LITTLE CLAUS 


249 


the bridge into the cold water. I sank to the bottom 
at once, but I was not hurt, for I was received by the 
softest, freshest grass. Immediately the sack was 
opened, and the most beautiful young girl you can 
imagine, clad in snow-white robes, and with a green 
wreath in her wet hair, took me by the hand, saying, 
4 Art thou Little Claus ? Here are some cattle of thine, 
and a mile farther up the road, another and larger 
herd is grazing, and I will give thee that herd also.’ 
And then I understood that the river was a sort of 
high-road for the people of the sea, and that on it 
they walked and drove to and fro, from the sea far up 
into the land, where the river rises, and thence back 
to the sea again. And no place can be more beauti- 
ful than it is at the bottom of the water; the prettiest 
flowers and the freshest grass grow there ; and the 
fishes swimming in the water slipped to and fro about 
my ears, just as birds flutter about us up here, in the 
air. And such gaily dressed people I saw there, and 
such a multitude of cattle grazing in pastures enclosed 
with hedges and ditches ! ” 

“ Then, why were you in such a hurry to come up 
again ? ” inquired Great Claus. 44 I shouldn’t have 
done so, not I, when I found it so pleasant there.” 

44 Ah ! ” rejoined Little Claus ; 44 that was so 

cleverly done on my part ! Did not I tell you 
that the sea-lady told me that a mile up the road 


250 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


— and by the road she could only mean the river, 
she can’t come into our land roads — -there was an- 
other and larger herd of cattle for me ? But I 
knew that the river makes a great many turns 
and windings, and therefore I thought I’d just 
spare myself half a mile of the way by taking the 
short cut across the land. So here I am, you see, 
and I shall soon get to my sea cattle ! ” 

“ Oh, what a lucky fellow you are ! ” exclaimed 
Great Claus. “ Don’t you think that I might have 
some cattle given to me too, if I went down to the 
bottom of the river?” 

“ How can I tell ? ” asked Little Claus, in reply. 

“ You envious scoundrel ! you want to keep all 
the beautiful sea cattle for yourself, I warrant ! ” 
cried Great Claus. “ Either you will carry me to 
the water’s edge, and throw me over, or I will take 
out my great knife and kill you. Make your 
choice ! ” 

“ Oh, no ! please don’t be so angry,” entreated 
Little Claus. “ I cannot carry you in the sack to 
the river ; you are too heavy for me ; but if you 
will walk there yourself, and then creep into the 
sack, I will throw you over with all the pleasure 
in the world.” 

“ But if, when I get to the bottom, I find no sea 
cattle for me, I shall kill you all the same when I 


GREAT CLAUS AND LITTLE CLAUS 


251 


come back — remember that ! ” said Great Claus ; 
and to this arrangement Little Claus made no 
objection. They walked together to the river. 
As soon as the thirsty cattle saw the water, they 
ran on as fast as they could, eagerly crowding 
against each other, and all wanting to drink first. 

44 Only look at my se.a cattle ! ” said Little Claus. 
“ See how they are longing to be at the bottom of 
the river.” 

44 That’s all very well,” said Great Claus, “ but you 
must help me first.” And he quickly crept into the 
great sack, which had lain stretched across the shoul- 
ders of one of the oxen. 44 Put a heavy stone in with 
me,” said Great Claus, 44 else, perhaps, I shall not sink 
to the bottom.” 

44 No fear of that,” replied Little Claus. However, 
he put a large stone into the sack, tied the strings, 
and pushed the sack into the water — plump ! — there 
it fell, straight to the bottom. 

44 1 am much afraid he will not find his sea cattle,” 
observed Little Claus, and he drove his own herd 
quietly home to the village. 


THE CONSTANT TIN SOLDIER 


There were once five and twenty Tin Soldiers, all 
brothers, for they had all been made out of one old 
tin spoon. They carried muskets in their arms, and 
held themselves very upright, and their uniforms were 
red and blue — very gay indeed. The first word that 
they heard in this world, when the lid was taken off 
the box wherein they lay, was, “Tin Soldiers ! ” It 
was a little boy who made this exclamation, clapping 
his hands at the same time. They had been given 
to him because it was his birthday, and he now set 
them out on the table. The soldiers resembled each 
other to a hair ; one only was rather different from 
the rest ; he had but one leg, for he had been made 
last, when there was not quite tin enough left. How- 
ever, he stood as firmly upon his one leg as the others 
did upon their two. And this identical Tin Soldier 
it is whose fortunes seem to us worthy of record. 

On the table where the Tin Soldiers were set out 
were several other playthings, but the most charm- 
ing of them all was a pretty pasteboard castle. 
Through its little windows one could look into the 
252 


THE CONSTANT TIN SOLDIER 


253 


rooms. In front of the castle stood some tiny trees, 
clustering round a little mirror intended to represent 
a lake, and waxen swans swam in the lake, and were 
reflected on its surface. All this was very pretty ; 
but prettiest of all was a little damsel standing in 
the open doorway of the castle. She, too, was cut 
out of pasteboard ; but she had on a frock of the 
clearest muslin, a little sky-blue riband was flung 
across her shoulders like a scarf, and in the midst 
of this scarf was set a bright gold wing. The little 
lady stretched out both her arms, for she was a 
dancer, and raised one of her legs so high in the 
air that the Tin Soldier could not find it, and 
fancied that she had, like him, only one leg. 

“ That would be just the wife for me,” thought he; 
“ but, then, she is of rather too high rank ; she lives 
in a castle. I have only a box ; besides, there are 
all our five and twenty men in it; it is no place for 
her ! However, there will be no harm in my making 
acquaintance with her.” And so he stationed him- 
self behind a snuff-box that stood on the table ; from 
this place he had a full view of the delicate little 
lady, who still remained standing on one leg, yet 
without losing her balance. 

When evening came, all the other Tin Soldiers 
were put away into the box, and the people of the 
house went to bed. The playthings now began to 


254 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


play in their turn ; they pretended to visit, to fig-lit 
battles, and give balls. The Tin Soldiers rattled in 
the box, for they wanted to play too, but the lid 
would not come off. The nut-crackers cut capers, 
and the slate-pencil plaj^ed at commerce on the slate; 
there was such a racket that the canary bird Avaked 
up, and began to talk too ; but he always talked in 
verse. The only two who did not move from their 
places were the Tin Soldier and the little dancer. She 
constantly remained in her graceful position, stand- 
ing on the point of her foot, with outstretched arms ; 
and as for him, he stood just as firmly on his one leg, 
never for one moment turning his eyes away from her. 

Twelve o’clock struck — crash! open sprang the 
lid of the snuff-box ; but there was no snuff inside 
it ; no, out jumped a little black Conjuror ; in fact, 
it was a Jack-in-the-box. 

“Tin Soldier !” said the Conjuror, “ wilt thou keep 
thine eyes to thyself ? ” 

But the Tin Soldier pretended not to hear. 

“ Well, only Avait till to-morroAv !” quoth the Con- 
juror. 

When the morroAv had come, and the children 
were out of bed, the Tin Soldier Avas placed on the 
window ledge, and, Avhether the Conjuror or the 
wind occasioned it, all at once the Avindow fleAV open, 
and out fell the Tin Soldier, head foremost, from the 


THE CONSTANT TIN SOLDIER 


255 


third story to the ground. A dreadful fall was that! 
his one leg turned over and over in the air, and at 
last he rested, poised on his soldier’s cap, with his 
bayonet between the paving-stones. * . 

The maid servant and the little boy immediately 
came down to look for him ; but although they very 
nearly trod on him, they could not see him. If the 
Tin Soldier had but called out, “Here I am !” they 
might easily have found him ; but he thought it 
would not be becoming for him to cry out, as he was 
in uniform. 

It now began to rain ; every drop fell heavier than 
the last ; there was a regular shower. When it was 
over, two boys came by. 

“ Look,” said one, “ here is a Tin Soldier ! he shall 
have a sail for once in his life.” 

So they made a boat out of an old newspaper, put 
the Tin Soldier into it, and away he sailed down the 
gutter, both the boys running along by the side and 
clapping their hands. The paper boat rocked to and 
fro, and every now and then veered round so quickly 
that the Tin Soldier became quite giddy ; still he 
moved not a muscle, looked straight before him, and 
held his bayonet tightly clasped. 

All at once the boat sailed under a long gutter- 
board ; he found it as dark here as at home i u his 
own box. 


256 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


“ Where shall I get to next ? ” thought he ; “ yes, 
to be sure, it is all that Conjuror’s doing ! Ah, if 
the little maiden were but sailing with me in the 
boat, I would not care for its being twice as dark ! ” 

Just then a great Water Rat, that lived under the 
gutter-board, darted out. 

“ Have you a passport ? ” asked the Rat. “ Where 
is your passport ? ” 

But the Tin Soldier was silent, and held his weapon 
with a still firmer grasp. The boat sailed on, and 
the Rat followed. Oh ! how furiously he showed 
his teeth, and cried out to sticks and straws, “ Stop 
him, stop him ! he has not paid the toll ! he has not 
shown his passport ! ” But the stream grew stronger 
and stronger. The Tin Soldier could already catch 
a glimpse of the bright daylight before the Boat 
came from under the tunnel, but at the same time he 
heard a roaring noise, at which the boldest heart 
might well have trembled. Only fancy ! where the 
tunnel ended, the water of the gutter fell perpen- 
dicularly into a great canal ; this was as dangerous for 
the Tin Soldier as sailing down a mighty waterfall 
would be for us. 

He was now so close that he could no longer stand 
upright ; the boat darted forward, the poor Tin Sol- 
dier held himself as stiff and immovable as possible; 
no one could accuse him of having even blinked. 


THE CONSTANT TIN SOLDIER 


257 


The boat spun round and round, three, nay, four 
times, and was filled with water to the brim ; it must 
sink. The Tin Soldier stood up to his neck in 
water, deeper and deeper sank the boat, softer and 
softer grew the paper ; the water went over the 
Soldier’s head, he thought of the pretty little dancer, 
whom he should never see again, and these words 
rang in his ears : — 

“ Wild adventure, mortal danger 
Be thy portion, valiant stranger ! ” 

The paper now tore asunder, the Tin Soldier fell 
through the rent ; but in the same moment he was 
swallowed up by a large fish. 

Oh, how dark it was ! worse even than under 
the gutter-board, and so narrow too ! — but the Tin 
Soldier’s resolution was as constant as ever ; there he 
lay, at full length, shouldering his arms. 

The fish turned and twisted about, and made the 
strangest movements ! at last he became quite still ; 
a flash of lightning, as it were, darted through him. 
The daylight shone brightly, and some one exclaimed, 
“ Tin Soldier ! ” The fish had been caught, taken to 
the market, sold, and brought home into the kitchen, 
where the servant-girl was cutting him up with a 
large knife. She seized the Tin Soldier by the 
middle with two of her fingers, and took him into 


258 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 




the parlour, where every one was eager to see the 
wonderful man who had travelled so far in the maw 
of a fish ; — however, our little warrior was by no 
means proud. They set him on the table, and there 
— no, how could anything so extraordinary happen 
in this world ! — the Tin Soldier was ill the very 
same room in which he had been before. He saw the 
same children, the same playthings stood on the 
table, among them the beautiful castle with the pretty 
little dancing maiden, who was still standing upon one 
leg, whilst she held the other high in the air ; she, 
too, was constant. It quite affected the Tin Soldier; 
he could have found it in his heart to weep tin tears, 
but such weakness would have been unbecoming in 
a soldier. He looked at her, and she looked at 
him, but neither spoke a word. 

And now one of the little boys took the Soldier 
and threw him without ceremony into the stove. 
He did not give any reason for so doing, but, no 
doubt, the Conjuror in the snuff-box must have had 
a hand in it. 

The Tin Soldier now stood in a blaze of red light ; 
he felt extremely hot ; whether this heat was the 
result of the actual fire, or of the flames of love 
within him, he knew not. He had entirely lost his 
colour ; whether this change had happened during 
his travels, or were the effect of strong emotion, I 


THE G OH ST ANT TIN SOLDIER 


259 


know not. He looked upon the little damsel, she 
looked upon him, and he felt that he was melting ; 
but, constant as ever, he still stood shouldering his 
arms. A door opened, the wind seized the Dancer, 
and, like a sylph, she flew straightway into the 
stove, to the Tin Soldier ; they both flamed up into 
a blaze — and were gone! The Soldier was melted 
to a hard lump, and when the maid took the ashes 
out the next day, she found his remains in the shape 
of a little tin heart. Of the Dancer there remained 
only the gold wing, and that was burnt black as a 
coal. 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


Chapter I 

A BEGINNING 

Every author has something peculiar in his style 
of writing, and those who are unfriendly to him 
quickly fasten upon this peculiarity, shrug up their 
shoulders and exclaim, “There he is again ! ” Now 
I well know how to provoke this exclamation ; I 
have only to begin my story as I had intended, 
thus : — 

“Rome 0 has its Corso,° Naples its Toledo, 0 ” — 
“ Ah, there’s that Andersen again ! ” say the}^ — 
however, it matters not, I shall continue. “ Copen- 
hagen 0 has its East Street,” — well, we will leave 
it so. 

In one of the houses near the New Market a party 
was assembled, a great number of people had been 
invited, probably only for the sake of receiving 
invitations in return. About half the guests were 
seated at card tables, the rest patiently awaited the 
result of a challenge to conversation just given, by 
260 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


261 


the hostess. “ Come, let us see how we can amuse 
ourselves ! ” 

Amongst other subjects the Middle Ages was 
started, and some persons present asserted that this 
period was far more interesting than our own times, 
.Councillor Knap defending the opinion with so 
^much zeal, that the lady of the house immediately 
came over to his side. And then they both de- 
claimed eagerly against Oersted’s Treatise 0 on “ Old 
Times and New Times,” wherein the preference is 
given to the latter, the Councillor declaring the times 
of King Hans, viz. the close of the fifteenth century, 
to be decidedly the best and happiest. 

Leaving this discussion, which was only inter- 
rupted for a moment by the arrival of a newspaper 
containing nothing worth the trouble of reading, 
we will now quit the guest-chamber, and betake 
ourselves to the anteroom, where cloaks, sticks, and 
clogs are left. Here are sitting two females, the 
one young, the other old, and at first sight we might 
imagine them to be maid servants, come to accom- 
pany their ladies home, but on a nearer view it is 
seen that their figures are noble, their hands and 
complexion delicate, their bearing majestic and 
queenly. In fact, they are fairies ; the younger is 
certainly not Dame Fortune herself, but she is the 
handmaid of one of her ladies of the bedchamber, 


262 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


and allowed to distribute her lesser gifts ; the other, 
who looks somewhat gloomy, is Care ! one who 
always attends to her affairs personally, because she 
is then sure no mistakes will happen. 

They were telling each other where they had been 
that day. The handmaid of Fortune had as yet only 
related a few insignificant actions, such as having 
saved a new hat from a shower of rain, or having 
procured for an honest, plain man a greeting from 
some distinguished nobody, &c., &c.; she had, how- 
ever, reserved for her last communication one of a 
most unusual nature. 

“ I have also to tell you,” said she, “ that this is 
my birthday, in honour of which there has been 
intrusted to me a pair of Clogs, which I am to have 
the privilege of bestowing upon mortals. These 
Clogs have the power of instantly transporting 
every one who puts them on to the place where he 
desires to be ; his every wish with regard to time, 
place, or circumstance will at once be fulfilled, 
and the favoured mortal thus rendered completely 
happy.” 

“ Mark me ! ” said Care, “ he will, on the contrary, 
be very unhappy, and will bless the moment which 
frees him from thy Clogs.” 

“That is your opinion!” returned the other. 
“Nevertheless, 1 now place them by the door ; pres- 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


263 


ently some one will put them on, and become the 
fortunate man ! ” 

Such was their dialogue. 


Chapter II 

WHAT BEFELL THE COUNCILLOR 

It grew late. Councillor Knap, still deep in the 
times of King Hans, was about to return home, and 
as fate would have it, he got hold of the Clogs of 
Fortune instead of his own, and, putting them on, 
stepped out into East Street. But the magic power 
of the Clogs having, according to his wish, carried 
him back to the fifteenth century, his feet sank into 
a mass of filth and mud, the streets of that period 
not having the advantage of a stone pavement. 

“ How disgustingly dirty it is here ! ” said the 
Councillor ; “ why, the footpath is gone, and all the 
lamps are out ! ” 

The moon had not yet risen high enough to give 
much light, besides which the atmosphere was rather 
thick, so that every object around him was enveloped 
in mist, and seemed indistinct. One solitary lamp 
burned before an image of the Virgin in a corner of 
the street ; its light, however, was but faint ; in fact, 
the Councillor did not remark it till he stood just 


264 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


underneath, and then his eyes fell upon the painted 
figure. 

“ That must be some exhibition,” thought he, 
“and they have forgotten to take in the sign.” 

Two men in the costume of the middle ages passed 
by him. 

“ How odd those people look ! I suppose they are 
coming from a masquerade.” 

Suddenly was heard the noise of drums and fifes, 
torches flashed brightly, — the Councillor started at 
seeing a most unusual procession pass by. First 
came a whole troop of drummers, who handled their 
instrument very cleverly, and then followed yeomen 
with bows and arrows. The chief person amid the 
throng was a priest in very solemn garb. Greatly 
astonished, the Councillor asked what all this meant, 
and who the priest was. 

“ That is the Bishop of Zealand , 0 ” was the reply. 
“ What, in the name of common sense, can have pos- 
sessed the Bishop ? ” said the Councillor, and he 
sighed, and shook his head ; “ it could not possibly 
be the Bishop.” Still ruminating on this subject, he 
walked on through East Street, and over Bridge 
Place, without looking either to the right or left. 
The bridge leading to Palace Square was not to be 
found; instead of it he approached the edge of the 
water, and at last came up to two men seated in a boat. 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


265 


“May we ferry your honour over to Holm?” 
asked they. 

“Over to Holm!” repeated the Councillor, • who 
was by no means aware of having been transported 
into the happy period he so much admired ; “ I want 
to go to Christianshaven , 0 and thence to Little Market 
Street.” 

The men looked at him without answering. 

“ Only tell me where the bridge is ! ” said he ; “ it 
is shameful that the lamps are not lighted ! and it 
is so dirty that one might as well walk through a 
bog.” 

The longer he talked to the boatmen, the less he 
could understand them. At last he exclaimed, “ I 
cannot make out your Bornholmish 0 dialect ! ” and, 
very much provoked, he turned his back upon them. 
The bridge was not to be found, neither were there 
any railings. “ It is scandalous how things are suf- 
fered to go on here ! ” cried he. Never had he found 
so much cause to complain of the times as on this, 
evening. “ I think I had better take a coach.” Thus 
he determined, but what had become of the coaches? 
not one was to be seen. “ I must go back to the 
New Market ; there are always coaches there, and 
without one I shall never find my way to Christians- 
haven.*’ 

So back he went through East Street, and had 


266 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


almost reached the end of it, when the moon burst 
forth from behind the clouds. * 

“ What can that scaffolding be up there ? ” cried 
he, on seeing the East Gate, which stood formerly at 
the end of East Street. 

He found an outlet, and through it he went in the 
expectation of arriving at the New Market, when, lo ! 
he beheld a vast green plain ; a few bushes grew 
here and there, and right through the middle flowed 
a broad canal or river, one could not say which. A 
few miserable wooden hovels, inhabited by the Dutch 
skippers, which occasioned the place to be called the 
Dutch Meadow, 1 stood on the opposite shore. 

44 Either I see a fata morgana ,° or else I have lost 
my wits,” grumbled the Councillor, quite in conster- 
nation. 44 What can be the matter? what can be the 
matter ? ” 

He turned back with the settled conviction that 
he was ill. On re-entering the street he looked 
more closely at the houses, and perceived that they 
were mostly built of wood, and that many had only 
thatched roofs. 

44 No, it must be that I am very unwell ! ” sighed 
he ; 44 and yet I did but drink one glass of punch ; 
however, it seems that was one too many. It was so 
absurd of them to give us punch and hot salmon ! 
I shall take the liberty of telling my lady hostess so. 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


267 


I have a good mind to turn back now and let her 
know how ill I feel ; but no, that would seem so 
ridiculous. Besides, it is a question whether every 
one is not gone to bed.” 

He looked for the house, but it was not to be 
found. 

“ It is horrible ! I do not even know East Street ! 
Why, there are no shops to be seen ; I can see noth- 
ing but old, wretched, tumble-down houses, just as 
though I were at Roeskilde 0 or Ringsted ! Alas, I 
must be very ill "! it is of no use to deceive myself. 
But where in the world is the agent’s house gone to ? 
this is not it, surely '! However, I see there are some 
persons up still. Ah, I am indeed very ill ! ” 

He pushed against a half-open door whence the 
light came. It was a tavern of those times, a sort 
of beer house ; the room looked not unlike one of the 
old-fashioned clay-floored halls of Holstein . 0 A 
number of people, — seamen, citizens of Copenhagen, 
and a few students, sat within in deep converse, and 
took little heed of the new-comer. 

** Pardon my intrusion,” said the Councillor to the 
landlady, who advanced to meet him, “ I have just 
been taken ill ! will } r ou be so kind as to send for a 
coach to convey me to Christianshaven ? ” 

The woman started, and shook her head. She 
then addressed him in German ; whereupon the 


268 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


Councillor, presuming that she did not understand 
Danish, expressed his wish in German. This, to- 
gether with his dress, confirmed the woman in her 
idea that he was a foreigner. One thing, at all 
events, she comprehended, viz. that he was ill, so 
she brought him a pitcher of water ; it had some- 
what of a brackish taste, although just drawn from 
the well. 

The Councillor supported his head on his hand, 
drew a deep breath, and grumbled to himself about 
the strange things he saw around him. 

“Is that the ‘News’ of this evening?” asked 
he, on seeing the woman remove a large sheet of 
paper. 

She did not understand his meaning; however, 
she gave him the paper, which proved to be a coarse 
wood engraving, representing a meteor which had 
been seen not long ago in the town of Cologne. . 

“ This is very ancient ! ” exclaimed the Council- 
lor, much excited by the sight of such a choice relic; 
“ how did you come by this rare print ? it is highly 
interesting, although the subject is fabulous. These 
meteors are now explained to be the reflections of the 
northern lights; they are probably occasioned by 
electricity.” 

Those who sat near him and heard his speech 
looked on him with astonishment, and one of them 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


269 


rose respectfully from his seat, took off his hat, and 
said, with a face of wondrous gravity, “You must 
be a very learned man, monsieur ! ” 

“ Oh, no, indeed ! ” returned the Councillor ; “ I 
can but take my part in conversation when it turns 
upon subjects which everybody understands.” 

“ Modesticf is a fine virtue ! ” said the man, “ other- 
wise I would say, Mihi seeus videtur 0 ; however, for 
the present, I suspend my judicium. 0 ” 

“ May I ask to whom I have the pleasure of speak- 
ing ? ” inquired the Councillor. 

“ I am Baccalaureus Scripturce Sacrce, 0 ” replied the 
man. 

This answer satisfied the Councillor, the name 
corresponded with the dress. “ He must be some 
old-fashioned country schoolmaster,” he thought ; 
“ an original, such as one meets with sometimes in 
Jutland. 0 ” 

“This is, of a truth, no locus docendi ,° ” resumed 
the stranger ; “ yet, 1 pray you, disdain not to con- 
verse with me ! you are, doubtless, well read in the 
works of the ancients ? ” 

“ Oh, yes ! ” answered the Councillor ; “I am 
fond of reading all ancient writings that are profit- 
able ; and, indeed, 1 like modern books pretty well, 
excepting those ‘ Tales of Everyday Life,’ of which 
I think, we have enough in reality.” 


270 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


“ Tales of Everyday Life ? ” repeated our Bacca- 
laureus. 0 

“ Oh, I mean those new novels, of which people 
talk so much.” 

“ As to that,” said the man, with a smile, “ they 
certainly contain a great deal of wit, and are read at 
court. The King particularly likes the Romance of 
Sir Iwain 0 and Sir Gawain, 0 which, you know, treats 
of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round 
Table. He and his great lords once jested merrily 
over it.°” 

“ It is strange that I have never read it ! ” said 
the Councillor. “ It must be one of Heiberg’s 0 
newest.” 

“No,” said the man, “it is not published by Hei- 
berg, but by Godfrey von Gehmen. 0 ” 

“ Is he the author ? ” cried the Councillor ; “ that 
is a very old name ! Was he not the first man who 
printed books in Denmark ? ” 

“ Yes, he is certainly our first printer,” returned 
the stranger. 

So far, so good ; and now one of the honest 
burghers began to speak of the severe pestilence 
which had raged a few years before, meaning that 
of 1484. The Councillor thought that they were 
talking of the cholera; so that also passed off well 
enough. The era of the war of the Pirates (1490) 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


271 


was so near that it was naturally alluded to ; the 
English pirates, they said, had taken their ships on 
their very shores ; and the Councillor, who had lived 
through the events of 1801 , joined with them heart 
and soul in abusing the English. But after this, 
conversation did not go on smoothly ; every mo- 
ment it became more and more discordant ; the 
honest Baccalaureus was so ignorant that the sim- 
plest, most matter-of-fact assertions of the Councillor 
sounded to him far too positive and fantastic. 
They looked at each other quite angrily ; Bacea- 
laureus at last spoke Latin, in the hope of being 
better understood, but it was all of no use. 

“ How are you now ? ” asked the hostess, pulling 
the Councillor by the sleeve. In the heat of debate 
he had entirely forgotten all that had happened, but 
he now recollected himself. 

“ Where am I ? ” said he, his head feeling dizzy 
again. 

“We will have claret, mead, and Bremer beer !” 
cried one of the guests, “ and you shall drink with 
us ! ” 

Two girls came in ; one of them wore a parti- 
coloured hood. They poured out the liquor, and 
bowed to the company. The Councillor shivered 
from head to foot. 

“ What is all this ? what is all this ? cried he ; 


272 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


but he was obliged to drink with them ; they quite 
overpowered the good man. He was in despair ; and 
when one of them said he was drunk, he never for 
a moment doubted the fact ; he begged them to 
fetch him a coach, and then they thought he was 
speaking Muscovitish. 0 

Never had he been before in such low company. 
“ One might suppose the country had become heathen 
again,” thought he ; “ this is the most horrible hour 
of my life ! ” The idea occurred to him to stoop 
under the table and creep out of the room. He did 
so ; but before he had reached the door, the others, 
perceiving his intention, seized hold of his feet ; by 
good luck the Clogs fell off, and with them the 
whole scene of enchantment vanished. 

The Councillor saw a lamp burning brightly be- 
fore him, and behind the lamp a large house. Every 
object was familiar to him, he was once more in 
East Street, such as we know it ; he was lying on 
the pavement, his legs kicking against the door of 
a house, and exactly opposite sat the watchman, en- 
joying a sound sleep. 

“ To think that I have lain here dreaming in the 
street ! ” said he. “ Yes, to be sure, this is East 
Street, so gay and handsome, and so well lighted ! 
It is terrible that one glass of punch should have had 
such an effect upon me.” 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


273 


Two minutes afterwards he was comfortably seated 
in a coach, which soon brought him to Christians- 
haven. He remembered all the trouble he had ex- 
perienced, and prized the more that happy reality, 
our own time, which, with all its faults, he now 
found so far pleasanter than the period of which he 
had lately made trial. 

Chapter III 

THE WATCHMAN’S ADVENTURES 

-“There’s a pair of Clogs!” said the Watchman; 
“ they must belong to the Lieutenant who lodges up 
there; they lie just by the door.” 

The honest man would have rung the bell and 
restored them to their supposed owner, for there 
were still lights burning in the Lieutenant’s room, 
but he was afraid of disturbing the slumbers of the 
other people in the house. 

“ It must be right warm and comfortable to have 
such things on one’s feet ! ” said he ; “ they are made 
of such soft leather.” He slipped his feet into them. 
“ How strangely everything goes on in this world ! 
that Lieutenant might now, if he chose, get into his 
own warm bed ; but only see ! he does no such thing ; 
there he walks up and down on the floor. He is a 
happy man ; he has neither wife nor children to pro- 


274 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


vide for, and he goes to parties every evening. Oh, 
if I were he, I should indeed be a happy man ! ” 

No sooner said than done; the Clogs had their 
effect ; the soul of the W atchman passed into the 
Lieutenant’s. There he stood in his chamber, hold- 
ing between his finger and thumb a tiny sheet of 
rose-coloured note paper, on which a poem was 
written, a poem composed by the Lieutenant’s own 
accomplished self. For where is the man who at 
some time or other of his life has not had lyrical 
moments? and if he then write down his thoughts, 
behold ! there is poetry. Here is the Lieutenant’s 
poem ; — 

“WOULD I WERE RICH!” 

“ Would I were rich ! ” — when but a thoughtless child 
I oft exclaimed, among my playmates wild, 

“ Would I were rich ! an offioer I’d be, 

With sword and feather’d plume so gay to see ! ” 

And time passed on ; one wish was granted me, 

Au officer I was ; yet, poor as ever ; — 

Thou know’st it, Lord, whose help forsook me never! 

One eve I sat, my spirits fresh and young, 

A little girl about me fondly clung ; 

For fairy-tales she craved — r a countless stove 
Had I of these, though otherwise so poor. 

That pretty child ! how well she loved my lore ! 

How oft she promised ne’er from me to sever ! 

Thou know’st it, Lord, be thou her guardian ever ! 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


275 


“ Would I were rich ! ” I lift to heaven my prayer ; 

The child has ripened to a maiden fair. 

She is so gentle, graceful, good, and kind — 

Had she my heart’s sad secret but divined, 

Could I, as erst, in her eyes favour find ? — 

No, I am poor, and must be silent ever, — 

So wills our Lord, whose wisdom erreth never. 

Would I were rich in patience, as in love ! 

Then might my prayer meet answer from above. 

Thou, my beloved, love me in return, 

From these weak lines my youth’s sad history learn — 

But, no ! the truth thou must not yet discern — 

For I am poor, my future dark as ever, — 

Bless her, good Lord, and leave her friendless never 1 

Such verses as these people write when they are 
in love, but no sensible man will allow them to be 
printed. Here was expressed one of the sharpest 
sorrows of life, viz. the animal necessity of struggling 
after, if not the fruit, at least one of the stray leaves 
from the bread fruit tree. The higher the station, 
the more bitter is the pang. Poverty is the stagnant 
pool of life ; no picture of beauty can be reflected 
therein. Look at the poor summer bird, whose wing 
is broken beyond hope of recovery, whose soaring 
flight is checked for ever, and you see one whose 
energies, both of body and mind, are pressed to the 
earth by the heavy hand of poverty. The words 
Lieutenant, Love, and Lack of gold form a tri- 


276 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


angle, or, if you will, the half of Fortune’s shattered 
die. The Lieutenant felt his misery acutely; he 
leaned his head against the window-frame, and 
sighed deeply. 

“The poor Watchman out in the street is far hap- 
pier than I ! He knows not what I call want ; — he 
has a home, a wife, and children, who weep with him 
in his sorrow, and rejoice with him in his joy. Oh, 
how much happier should I be, could I exchange my 
situation for his, and wander through life with no 
other hopes than he has ! Yes, he is certainly happier 
than I am ! ” 

In that same moment, the Watchman became once 
more a Watchman. The Clogs of Fortune had caused 
his soul to pass into the Lieutenant’s ; but there, as 
we have just seen, he felt less satisfied, and preferred 
the life he had a few minutes before despised. Thus 
the Watchman became a Watchman again. 

“ That was a stupid dream ! ” said he ; “ but it was 
droll enough, certainly. I thought I was the Lieu- 
tenant up there, and yet that I was not comfortable. 
I wanted my old woman, and the babies, to smother 
me with kisses.” 

He sat still thinking over his dream — it would not 
go out of his head. The Clogs of Fortune were still 
on his feet. Suddenly, a falling star shot down from 
the sky. 


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277 


“ There it goes ! ” said he. “ How many stars are 
up there ! I should like very much to be able to 
look at those bright things closer, especially the 
moon. The Student for whom my wife washes says, 
4 that when we die, we shall fly about from one star 
to another.’ That cannot be true, but it would be 
extremely pleasant. Now, if I could but just make 
a little jump up to the moon, I should not mind leav- 
ing my body behind lying here on the steps ! ” 

There are certain thoughts and wishes to which 
we should beware of giving utterance, but doubly 
cautious should he be who has on his feet the 
Clogs of Fortune. Mark, now, what happened to 
the Watchman. 

Few amongst us are not acquainted with the 
rapidity of steam travelling, for we have proved 
it, either in railway carriages over the land, or in 
steamboats over the sea. But the velocity of steam, 
compared to that of light, is as the progress of the 
sloth, or the pace of the snail ; for light travels nine- 
teen ' millions of times faster than the fleetest race- 
horse. Electricity is, however, far swifter even than 
light ; and on the wings of electricity flies the soul 
when freed from its earthly encumbrance. The 
rays of the sun require only eight minutes and a 
few seconds for a journey of twenty millions of 
Danish miles, but the soul performs the same dis- 


278 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


tance in an infinitely shorter period. To her the 
space between the heavenly bodies is no more than 
would be to us the distance between the houses of 
friends living in the same town, even when those 
houses stand tolerably near each other. Such an 
electric shock in the heart deprives us, however, of 
all use of our bodies ; unless, indeed, like the W atch- 
man, we happen to have the Clogs of Fortune on our 
feet. 

In the course of a few seconds the W atchman had 
traversed two hundred and forty thousand miles, and 
had arrived at the moon, which, as every one knows, 
is composed of much finer materials than the earth, 
and is what we should call light as new-fallen snow. 
He found himself upon one of the numerous moun- 
tains which may be seen in Dr. Madler’s 0 large map 
of the Moon, the interior of which might be described 
as a cauldron about half a Danish mile in depth. At 
the foot of the mountain lay a town, of whose appear- 
ance an idea might be formed by putting the white 
of an egg into a glass of water, for the substance of 
which it was composed was just as soft ; and similar 
towers, with cupolas and hanging balconies, all per- 
fectly transparent, hovered to and fro in the thin, 
clear atmosphere. Our earth was seen above, look- 
ing like a great, dark-red ball. 

He saw a number of creatures around him, who 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


279 


must certainly have been what we call human beings, 
but they looked very different from us ; they seemed 
quite of another species, and it would require a far 
more luxuriant fancy than that possessed by astrono- 
mers to imagine anything like them. They had a 
language of their own. I suppose no one would 
expect the soul of the Watchman to understand 
it ; nevertheless, understand it he did, for our spirits 
have far greater capabilities than we are inclined to 
believe. 

Thus the Watchman’s soul understood perfectly 
the language of the dwellers in the moon. They 
were disputing about our earth, and doubting 
whether it could be inhabited ; the air, they 
thought, must be too thick for any reasonable 
moon dweller to breathe ; and, indeed, most were 
of opinion that of all the heavenly bodies the moon 
alone was inhabited. 

However, we will not listen to what was said, but 
rather betake ourselves to East Street, and see what 
has become of the Watchman’s body. 

Lifeless on the steps it lay ; the Morning Star (a 
club armed with iron spikes) had fallen out of its 
hand ; its eyes were fixed with an upward gaze upon 
the moon, whither its right honourable companion, 
the soul, had wandered. 

“What is the hour, Watchman? ” asked a passer- 


280 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


by. As no answer came, the inquirer gently tapped 
the apparently sleeping figure on the nose, where- 
upon down it fell at full length upon the ground. 
The Watchman was dead ! All his companions were 
greatly shocked when they heard of the accident ; 
the story was repeated from one to another ; a great 
deal was said about it ; and at daybreak the body 
was carried to the hospital. 

Now suppose the soul were to return to seek the 
body in East Street, and find it gone ! perhaps she 
might then apply to the Police to make inquiries, 
next to the Directory Office, in order to advertise it 
among other things lost, stolen, or strayed ; and, last 
of all, she might perchance seek her companion in 
the hospital. But never fear, believe me the soul is 
always wise when left to herself, it is only the body 
that renders her stupid. 

As was said before, the Watchman’s body was 
taken to the hospital, where, naturally enough, the 
first thing done was to take off the Clogs. The 
soul must now return : she flew straight to the 
body, and in a few seconds there was once more 
life in the man. And he declared that this had 
been the most dreadful night of his life, that not 
for two gold pieces would he experience such sen- 
sations again. However, all was over now. 

That same day he left the hospital, but the Clogs 
were left behind. 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


281 


Chapter IV 

A CRITICAL MOMENT — AN EVENING’S DRAMATIC 
READINGS — A MOST UNUSUAL JOURNEY 

Every inhabitant of Copenhagen knows the situa- 
tion of Frederick’s Hospital ; nevertheless, it may be 
well to give a short description of it, as it is just pos- 
sible that others besides inhabitants of Copenhagen 
may read this story. 

This hospital is separated from the street by a tol- 
erably high railing, the iron staves composing which 
stand so far apart from each other that — so it is 
said — some very thin students have at times found 
it possible to squeeze themselves through, and thus 
make delightfully frequent visits to their friends in 
the town. The part of the body which they had most 
difficulty in squeezing through was the head ; conse- 
quently, in this case, as indeed in many another, the 
smallest heads were most convenient. So much by 
way of introduction. 

One of the young men, of whom it could be said 
only physically that he had a thick head, happened 
to be on watch that evening. The rain poured down 
in torrents, yet, despite these two hindrances, the 
weather and the size of his head, he must go out 


282 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


just for a quarter of an hour. It was not worth 
while, he thought, to trouble the porter about such a 
trifle, when he could by an effort slip through the 
iron rails ; and, while pondering over the subject, he 
stumbled upon the Clogs which the W atchman had 
left behind him. That these were the Clogs of For- 
tune of course never occurred to him ; it was plain, 
however, that they might be serviceable in such 
weather as this, and so he put them on. The only 
question with him was whether he would be able to 
squeeze himself through, or not ; he had never tried 
the experiment before. 

u How I wish that I had my head through ! ” said 
he. 

No sooner said than done ; the head, though very 
large and thick, at once glided through as easily as 
possible — such was the power of the Clogs. But 
the body must needs follow. 

44 Ugh, I am too stout ! ” said he. 44 1 thought 
the difficulty was the head ! I shall never get 
through.” 

He tried to draw his head back again, but that was 
impossible. He could move his neck to and fro at 
pleasure, and that was all he could do. His first 
impulse was to be in a pet, the very next moment his 
spirits had sunk below zero. The Clogs of Fortune 
had brought him into this most distressing situation, 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


283 


and unfortunately the thought never entered his 
head that he might wish himself free ; instead of 
wishing, he strove, and consequently could not stir 
from the spot. The rain poured down — not a per- 
son was to be seen in the street. The entrance bell 
he could not reach — how in the world was he to get 
loose ? It was probable that there he must stand 
until morning ; that then a smith must be sent for 
to file away one of the staves ; that all this would not 
be the w r ork of a moment ; that, in the meantime, 
all the boys belonging to the large school just op- 
posite would be let loose ; that the whole district of 
Nyboder would hasten to the spot, for the pleasure 
of seeing him in the pillory : a famous running and 
funning there will be ! “ Ugh ! ” cried he, “ the 

blood is rushing to my head ! it will drive me mad ! 
I am half crazy already ! Oh, if I could but get 
loose! ” 

Now this was just what he should have said 
before. No sooner had he expressed the wish than it 
was fulfilled — his head was free. Into the house he 
rushed, nearly distracted by the fright which the 
Clogs of Fortune had occasioned him. 

But we must not suppose that his adventures were 
ended. No, indeed, the worst were yet to come. 

The night passed away quietly enough, as did also 
the day following. Meantime, the Clogs had not 


284 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


been taken away. In the evening there were dra- 
matic readings at the little theatre in Kannike Street. 
The house was crammed. Among other pieces 
recited was a new poem, called “ My Aunt’s Spec- 
tacles,” by H. C. Andersen, the substance of which 
was as follows. The poet’s aunt, who in the good 
old times would certainly have been entitled to the 
honour of being burnt as a witch, had an extraordi- 
nary skill in fortune-telling. She seemed to know 
beforehand all the chances and changes of this 
changing world ; and though not yet in “ the sunset 
of life,” her wondrous “ mystical lore ” made — 

“ Coming events cast their shadows before.” 

Every one coveted her secret, but in vain. She 
would never reveal it. At last, however, her youngest 
and favourite nephew entreated her so earnestly to 
confide it to him — only just to him — that the good 
lady’s resolution gave way ; and putting on a face of 
solemn importance, she took off her spectacles and 
presented them to him, declaring that the marvellous 
power of second sight was vested in them, and them 
only. “ Try them yourself, my boy,” she said, seeing 
him look incredulous. “ Go to any place of public 
resort, secure a position whence you can overlook 
the crowd, put on my spectacles, and forthwith all 
the people you survey through them will be to your 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


285 


eyes like a pack of cards spread out on a table ; their 
most secret thoughts and wishes will be laid bare ; 
and you will, moreover, be enabled without difficulty 
to foresee their future lot.” The youth could scarcely 
wait an instant to thank the good lady for her kind- 
ness, he was in such haste to run off and test his new 
acquisition. He remembered that there would be 
dramatic readings at the theatre that very evening 
— nothing could be more convenient, for nowhere 
could he overlook a great throng of people so easily 
as from the stage ; accordingly, thither he repaired. 
Then, presenting himself to the audience, he puts on 
his spectacles, and begs permission to tell the fortunes 
of the individuals composing the crowd. And now 
he begins by expressing astonishment at the curious 
sight opened to his view ; he drops mysterious hints 
about the Queen of Hearts, “ whose dark, thrilling 
eyes,” he declares, “ are fixed with intensity upon 
the Knave of Diamonds ; he would give worlds to 
have such glances directed towards himself.” The 
Knave of Clubs he next notices as “ the richest man 
in that assembly, although unfortunately — ” but 
here he stops short, as unwilling to reveal family 
secrets. He then proposes finding out the happiest 
person present — the one who should live longest — 
the future fortunes of the nation — the success which 
should attend forthcoming representations at the 


286 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


theatre. Still he evades giving direct, intelligible 
information, declaring himself quite bewildered ; he 
is resolved not to hurt the feelings of the audience 
by his communications ; and yet he fears that they 
must distrust his vaunted powers. Thus he can 
only, with the deepest respect, leave them to their 
own conclusions and bid farewell to the assembly. 

The poem, absurd as it was, being well recited, 
was received with great applause. Amongst the 
audience was our friend from the hospital, who 
seemed to have entirely forgotten his adventure of 
the preceding evening ; the Clogs of Fortune were 
again on his feet ; for, as no one had claimed them, 
and the streets were dirty, he thought he might as 
well make use of them. 

The first part of the poem pleased him exceed- 
ingly, and, although his attention was soon dis- 
tracted, the idea still haunted him. He fancied he 
should much like to have such a pair of spectacles 
himself ; perhaps, he thought, they might enable the 
wearer to look straight into people’s hearts, and this 
would be far more interesting than the knowledge 
of future events, for whatever was to happen must 
be clear enough to every one when the time came, 
whereas the heart — who could ever boast of having 
read that ? “Say it were only the hearts of the row of 
gentlemen and ladies sitting on the front benches, — 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


287 


could I look into them, what a revelation there would 
| be ! — a sort of shop would open before me. Ah, how 
my eyes would search into every corner ! F or instance, 
in that of the lady sitting just opposite, I should cer- 
| tainly find an extensive assortment of fashionable mil- 
linery, caps, ribands, and silk ; the shop of the lady next 
her would probably be found perfectly empty, — it 
would, however, be all the better for cleansing. 

1 But are there no shops of substantial wares ? Ah, 
yes,” sighed he, “ I know one in which everything 
i is solid and good, but unfortunately a shop-man is 
there — more’s the pity ! — and he is perpetually 
crying out, 4 Be so kind as to walk in, gentlemen ; 
here you will find everything you want.’ I wish I 
really could step in, like a pleasant thought, and 
| glide on from heart to heart ! ” 

These last words sufficed to awaken the dormant 
power of the Clogs ; the whole man immediately 
shrank up, and commenced a most unusual journey, 
for it travelled through the hearts of the front row 
of spectators. The first heart he entered was that 
of a lady, and for a moment he fancied himself in the 
Orthopoedic Institute or Hospital for the Deformed, 
in* the chamber whose walls are hung with plaster 
casts of diseased limbs. There was, however, this 
difference — in the Institute the casts are taken at 
the period of the patients’ entry, here they had been 


288 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


taken after the originals had departed. They were, 
in fact, casts of very dear and particular friends, 
whose deformities, whether of body or mind, were 
thus carefully preserved. 

Suddenly he passed thence into another female 
heart ; but this appeared to him like a solemn, glo- 
rious church. The white dove of innocence brooded 
over the altar ; he could most gladly have fallen 
on his knees before it, but that he must away — 
away into the next heart. Still, however, he heard 
the deep tones of the organ, and it seemed as though 
he had become another and a better man, not alto- 
gether unworthy to enter the neighbouring sanctu- 
ary. And here was revealed to him a miserable 
garret, wherein reposed a sick mother. Poor and 
miserable was that chamber in appearance, yet God’s 
warm sunshine streamed through the open window ; 
beautiful roses bloomed in the little wooden box on 
the roof ; and two sky-blue birds warbled from their 
branches a glorious song of joy, peace, and love, 
whilst the sick mother implored a blessing upon 
her daughter. 

He now crept upon hands and feet through an 
over-filled butcher’s shop ; there was flesh, and flesh, 
and nothing but flesh, all round him. This was the 
heart of a rich, respectable man, whose name may 
doubtless be found in the Directory. 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


289 


He next entered the heart of the last person’s 
wife. This was an old rained dove-cote ; the hus- 
. band’s portrait was made use of as a weather-cock, 
and seemed connected in some manner with the 
doors, which accordingly opened and shut as the 
man moved. 

Thence he glided into a cabinet formed of mirrors, 
like the room shown in Castle Rosenborg . 0 These 
mirrors, however, possessed the power of magnifying 
to an almost incredible degree. In the centre, on 
the floor, sat, like the Dalai Lama 0 of Thibet, the 
individual’s own insignificant self, apparently wholly 
occupied with the contemplation of his own astound- 
ing greatness. 

After this he believed himself transported into 
a needle-case filled with sharp-pointed needles. 
“ Surely,” thought he, “ this must be the heart of 
an old maid ! ” But no, it was the heart of a young 
officer, who had been honoured with several orders 
of knighthood, and who was said to be a man of 
superior understanding and refinement. 

The unfortunate youth crept out of the last heart 
in the row quite bewildered; he could not arrange 
his thoughts, he could only believe that all he 
had seen and felt was the work of his too active 
imagination. 

“ Alas ! ” sighed he, “ am I going mad ? I feel 
u 


290 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


insufferably hot, — the blood is rushing to my head ! ” 
All at once he remembered the singular incident of 
the preceding evening, how that his head had re- 
mained fixed between the iron railings of the Hos- 
pital. “ That is it,” said he ; “I must attend to 
it before it is too late ; perhaps a Russian bath 
would be serviceable. How I wish I were extended 
on the upper board ! ” 

Accordingly he found himself forthwith lying on 
the highest shelf of a vapour bath ; yes, there he lay 
with all his clothes on, boots, clogs, everything ; hot 
drops of water trickled down from the ceiling on his 
face. 

“ Ugh ! ” shrieked he, starting up with astonish- 
ment. The attendant shrieked also, when he saw a 
man standing full dressed in the bath. Our hero had 
just sufficient presence of mind to whisper in explana- 
tion, “ ’Tis for a wager but the first thing he did 
when he reached home was to lay a large blistering 
plaster over his chest, and another across his back, 
in order to draw out his madness. 

Next morning his back was covered with blood, 
and this was all that he had gained from the Clogs 
of Fortune. 


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291 


Chapter V 

THE METAMORPHOSES 0 OF THE COPYING CLERK 

We have not forgotten the Watchman all this 
time, neither had he forgotten the Clogs which he 
had found in the street, and which had been carried 
with himself to the Hospital. He now came and 
fetched them away ; but as neither the Lieutenant 
nor any one else in his street would own them, the 
Clogs were at last taken to the Police Office. 

“ They look exactly like mine,” said one of the 
Copying Clerks, placing them by the side of his own. 
“No eye but a shoemaker’s could see any difference 
between them.” 

“ Mr. Clerk,” said a man, who just then entered 
with some papers. 

The Clerk turned round to answer the summons. 
When the man’s business was despatched, and he 
again looked at the Clogs, he could not make up his 
mind whether the pair on the right or on the left 
hand side were his own. “It must be those that are 
wet ! ” thought he, and a most unfortunate thought 
it was, for they were the Clogs of Fortune. But, 
after all, why should not mistakes happen sometimes 
in the Police Office, as well as everywhere else ? So 
he drew on the Clogs, put his papers into his pocket, 


292 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


and tucked under his arm some manuscripts which 
he had to copy at home. It was now Sunday morn- 
ing, the weather was fine — “A walk to Fredericks- 
berg,” thought he, “will do me good,” so out he 
went. 

Nowhere could there be found a more quiet, sober- 
minded person than this young man ; right glad are 
we that he should enjoy the simple pleasure this walk 
will afford him ; it is just the very thing for him 
after sitting still so long. And he walked on for 
some time in such a straightforward, matter-of-fact 
fashion that the Clogs had no opportunity of display- 
ing their magical powers. 

In the avenue he met an acquaintance of his, one 
of our younger poets, who told him that he was going 
next day to .set out on his summer excursion. 

“ What, roaming again ? ” said the Clerk. “ Happy 
man that you are, free to go wherever you please ! 
we common mortals are condemned to wear a 
chain.” 

“ But the chain is fastened to the bread-fruit tree! ” 
replied the Poet. “You need have no care for the 
morrow, and when you grow old, a pension is given 
you.” 

“For all that, your lot is the happier,” returned 
the Clerk ; “ it must be so pleasant to sit under a 
tree all day writing verses, and then to have flatter- 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


293 


ing speeches made you by all the world — besides, 
you are your own master. Ah ! you should only try 
for once how wearisome it is to spend all your time 
in an office, writing about some trivial matter or 
other ! ” 

The Poet shook his head, the Clerk likewise shook 
his head, each kept his own opinion, and they parted. 

“ Strange people are those poets ! ” said the Clerk. 
“ I should like very much to understand them and 
their ways, to become a poet myself ; I am sure I 
should not write such whining, pining nonsense as 
some do ! — What a lovely spring day this is ! just 
the day for a poet ! The air is so unusually clear ! 
the clouds are so beautiful ! and such a delicious 
fragrance comes from the trees and flowers, I have 
not felt as I do at this moment for many years ! ” 

It will be seen from the latter part of this speech 
that he has now in truth become a poet. Not that 
any great alteration was apparent in him ; it is, in- 
deed, an absurdity to imagine that a poet must needs 
be totally different from other men ; on the con- 
trary, there may frequently be found natures more 
poetical than many of our acknowledged poets — the 
principal difference being that the poet has a better 
mental memory, and can thus hold fast his ideas 
and feelings till they are clearly embodied in words, 
which others cannot do. However this may be, the 


294 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


transformation of a commonplace nature into one 
capable of appreciating all that is beautiful and 
good is indeed a change, and as such the Clerk’s 
metamorphosis is striking enough. 

“ This delightful fragrance ! ” said he, “ how it re- 
minds me of my Aunt Magdalen’s violets ! Ah, that 
was when I was a little boy ! What a long time it 
is since I thought of her, the good old aunt ! . She 
used to live behind the Exchange yonder. Let the 
winter be ever so severe, she always kept a bough or 
a few green shoots in water. How sweet the violets 
were ! And then I used to lay a heated penny on 
the frozen window-pane to make a little peep-hole : 
what a pretty view I had through it ! There was 
the canal, with the ships lying so still amid the 
frozen water, and forsaken by all the mariners ; one 
noisy, screaming crow forming* their whole garrison. 
And when at last the fresh spring breezes returned, 
then everything received new life ; with song and 
merriment the ice was broken up, the ships were 
rigged and tackled, and away they sailed to foreign 
lands. But I have always stayed behind ; I must al- 
ways stay behind, and sit in the office and see others 
come to fetch their passports, that they may travel 
abroad ! Such is my lot ! Alas ! ” sighed he ; then 
suddenly checking himself, “ Why, what can ail me? 
I have never thought or felt in this manner before ; 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


295 


it must be the effect of the spring air ; it gives me 
almost as much pain as pleasure ! ” He felt in his 
pockets for his papers. 44 These will make me think 
of something else,” said he, as his eye wandered 
over the first sheet — “ 4 Madame Sigbrith, an origi- 
nal tragedy, in five acts,’ ” read he aloud. 44 What is 
this ? why, it is in my own handwriting ; did I write 
this tragedy? 4 The Cabal on the Ramparts, vaude- 
ville. ’ How came all these papers in my pocket? 
somebody must have put them in. And here is a 
letter ! ” Exactly so ; the letter came from the 
manager of a theatre ; both the pieces whose titles 
he had read were rejected, and the manager’s opinion 
of them was expressed in terms anything but cour- 
teous. 44 Hem ! hem ! ” said the Clerk, and he sat 
down on a bench — his thoughts seemed so fresh, his 
spirits so elastic. Involuntarily he plucked one of 
the flowers near him ; it was but a common little daisy, 
yet what botanists could only teach us after several 
long lectures this simple floweret explained in a 
minute. She related the myth of her birth, told 
of the power of the sunshine which had unfolded 
her delicate leaves and drawn forth her fragrance, 
and thus called forth thoughts of those human strug- 
gles which in a similar manner awaken the slumber- 
ing feelings of men. Light and Air are the faithful 
lovers of the flower ; Light is the favoured one, and 


296 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


to him she turns continually ; but when Light disap- 
pears, she folds her petals together, and sleeps in the 
safe guardianship of Air. “ It is Light which makes 
me so beautiful ! ” said the flower. “ But it is Air 
that preserves thy life ! ” whispered the Poet’s 
voice. 

A boy, standing a few paces distant, just then threw 
his stick into a ditch, the water splashed up among 
the green branches waving above, and the Clerk 
thought of the millions of little insects in those drops 
of water which must have been hurled upwards, and 
to whom such an evolution must have been as 
fearful as it would be for us to be suddenly whirled 
high into the region of the clouds. The Clerk 
smiled as he mused over this, and over the great 
change he felt to have stirred up such new fancies. 
“ I know,” he said, 44 that I am only dreaming ; but 
how strange it is that I should dream, and yet be 
aware all the while that I am dreaming ! I wonder 
wdiether I shall remember this to-morrow when I 
awake. I feel happier than I ever was before ; I 
seem thoroughly awake — have a clear perception of 
everything — and yet I am sure that if I have any 
recollection of my present thoughts and feelings to- 
morrow, they will all appear to me stupid nonsense. 
So it is; all those clever and beautiful things one 
says and hears in one’s dreams are just like faery 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


297 


gold — rich and precious at night, but, when day- 
light returns, found to be nothing but stones and 
withered leaves. Alas ! ” said he, sighing quite 
sadly, and looking up at the merry little singing 
birds as they hopped from bough to bough, “their 
lot is far happier than mine ; they can fly — that is a 
glorious art ! — happy he who is born to soar ! Ah, 
t yes, if I could change myself into anything, it should 
be into such a little lark as that ! ” 

In the same moment, the sleeves and flaps of his 
coat were united together and formed wings, his 
clothes became feathers, and the Clogs claws; he 
was aware of the change, and laughed inwardly. 
“Well,” said he, “now I may be sure that I am 
dreaming, though, certainly, I never dreamed any- 
thing so ridiculous as this before ! ” He flew up into 
the green branches and sang ; but there was no 
poetry in the song, for the poetic nature was gone. 
The Clogs, like every one else who does anything 
worth the doing, could only do one thing at a time. 
The Clerk wished to be a poet; and, accordingly, 
he became a poet. He then wished to be a little 
bird, and a bird he became ; but a poet he could be 
no longer. 

“ This is pleasant enough,” said he. “ All day I 
sit in the office attending to business, and at night 
I can dream of flying about in the form of a lark in 


298 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


Fredericksberg Gardens . 0 What a capital farce this 
would make ! ” 

He then flew down from the bench, turned his 
head on all sides, and struck with his beak the 
tender blades of grass, which, compared with his 
present size, appeared as large as the palm-branches 
of North Africa. 

It was but for a moment ; suddenly he seemed 
enveloped in darkness, something to him monstrous 
and heavy was thrown over him. It was a large 
schoolboy’s cap ; the hand of one of the juveniles 
of Nyboder 0 passed underneath it, and seized the 
Clerk by the back and wings. In the first impulse 
of surprise he cried out, “You impudent young 
rascal ! I am Clerk at the Police Office ! ” But this 
sounded to the boy like “ Pipipi ! ” He struck the 
bird on the beak and walked away with it. 

In the Avenue he met two schoolboys of the 
higher class — in rank, at least ; in learning they 
were amongst the lowest in the school, — they 
bought the bird for fourpence. And thus the Copy- 
ing Clerk was taken back to Copenhagen, and be- 
came a member of a family in Gother Street. 

“It is well that I am only dreaming,” said the 
Clerk, “ else I should really be angry. First I was 
a poet, and now I am a lark ! I suppose it was the 
poetic nature which changed me into a little insig- 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


299 


nificant bird ! It is a miserable condition enough 
especially when one falls into the hands of boys. 
I wonder what will become of me next ! ” 

The boys brought him into an elegantly furnished 
apartment, where they were received by a stout, 
good-humoured-looking lady, who was by no means 
pleased at their bringing in with them a common 
field bird, as she called the lark ; however, for once 
she said she would excuse it, and they might put 
their little prisoner into the empty cage that hung 
by the window. “ Perhaps that may please my 
pretty Poll,” added she, smiling tenderly on a large 
green parroquet who was. swinging himself in his 
splendid cage. “It is Poll’s birthday, so the little 
field bird must come and congratulate him.” 

Poll answered not a word, but continued to swing 
himself backwards and forwards with a very stately 
air, whilst a pretty little Canary bird, who had been 
only the preceding summer brought from the warm, 
spicy land of his birth, at once began a loud song of 
welcome. 

“ Be quiet, you noisy thing ! ” said the lady, 
throwing a white pocket handkerchief over his 
cage. 

“ Pipi,” sighed he ; “ that is a horrible snow 
storm ! ” and he immediately ceased singing. 

The Clerk, or, as the lady called him, the field 


300 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


bird, was put into a little cage close to the Canary 
bird’s, and not far from that of the Parrot. The only 
human phrase which Poll knew was, “ Come, let us 
be men ! ” and comical enough it sounded sometimes. 
Everything else that he said or shrieked was as un- 
intelligible as the twittering of the Canary bird, 
except to the Clerk, who, being now a bird him- 
self, could understand both his companions per- 
fectly well. 

“ Once,” sang the Canary bird, “ I was free, flying 
about among green palms and flowering almond 
trees ; I flew with my brothers and sisters over the 
beautiful flowers and the clear, mirror-like lake 
bordered with so many fragrant shrubs. There, 
too, were parrots with glorious plumage ; they used 
to tell such merry stories, so long and so many ! ” 

“Those were wild, uneducated birds,” returned 
the Parrot. “ Come, let us be men ? Why don’t you 
laugh ? If the lady and all the strangers that come 
here can laugh at it, surely you can do so too. 
Not to be able to enjoy a good joke shows a great 
defect in the understanding. Come, let us be 
men ! ” 

“ Oh, dost thou not remember those lovely maidens 
who danced under the shade of their wide-spreading 
tents, and under trees so tall and so full of blossom ? 
Dost thou not remember the delicious fruit on the 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


301 


trees, and the fresh, cool juice in the wild herbs 
which grew so luxuriantly at their feet ? ” 

“ Oh, yes ! ” said the Parrot, “ but I am much more 
comfortable here. I am well fed and treated with 
consideration. I know I am a clever fellow, and 
that is enough for me. Let us be men ! You, indeed, 
have what they call a poetic soul, but I have solid 
acquirements and plenty of wit; you have genius, 
but no prudence ; thus you are always bursting out 
with those wild, piercing notes of yours, and thus you 
are continually silenced. No one ever presumes to 
cover up my cage — no, indeed, for I cost a good 
deal more than you did ; besides, I can defend myself 
with my beak, and confound them with my wit. 
Come, let us be men ! ” 

“ Oh, my beloved, my beautiful fatherland ! ” sang 
the Canary bird, “ever will I sing of thy dark-leaved 
trees and thy peaceful bays, where the long, drooping 
branches fondly kiss the dancing waters ; ever will 
I sing of the gladsome movements of my bright-hued 
brothers and sisters, as they sported and sang among 
those splendid cactuses ! ” 

“ Pray give up this melancholy strain ! ” said the 
Parrot. “Say something which may make us laugh. 
Laughter is a sign of the highest intellect. Do you 
think that a dog or a horse could laugh? no, but 
they can cry: only men can laugh, Ha ! ha ! ha ! ” 


302 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


screamed Poll, and ended with the repetition of his 
single piece of wit — 44 Come, let us be men ! ” 

44 Thou little, grey Danish bird,” said the Canary, 
44 thou, too, art become a prisoner ! It may be cold 
in thy native woods, but there at least thou hast 
freedom. Oh, fly away ! they have forgotten to shut 
the door of thy cage; the window is open — fly 
quickly, fly away ! ” 

Instinctively the Clerk hopped out of his cage ; in 
that same moment the half-opened door was heard 
to creak, and stealthily, stealthily, with eyes green 
and glistening, crept into the room — the cat. The 
Canary fluttered about in his cage, the Parrot flapped 
his wings and screamed, 44 Come, let us be men ! ” the 
Clerk was seized with mortal terror and flew out of 
the window. For a long while he flew over houses 
and streets ; at last he felt the want of rest. The 
house exactly opposite seemed familiar to him — one 
window was open — in he flew, into his own room. 
He perched upon the table. 

Almost unconsciously he repeated the Parrot’s 
witticism, 44 Come, let us be men ! ” and the next 
moment the Lark had become the Copying Clerk, 
comfortably seated upon his own table. 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


303 


Chapter VI 

THE BEST AND LAST GIFT THE CLOGS COULD 
BfeSTOW 

Next day, early in the morning, while the Clerk 
was yet in bed, a knocking was heard at his door ; 
it was his neighbour, the young Divinity Student, 
who lived on the same floor. He came in. 

“ Lend me your Clogs,” said he ; “ it is damp in 
the garden, although the sun is shining gloriously. 
I shall go out and smoke.” 

He drew on the Clogs, and was presently walking 
in the garden, an enclosure which could boast of 
possessing both an apple and a plum tree. Even 
so small a garden as this is highly prized in Copen- 
hagen. 

The Student walked up and down, — it was just 
six o’clock ; a post-horn sounded from the street. 

“ Oh, to travel ! to travel ! ” exclaimed he, “ that 
is the greatest happiness this world can give ! that 
is my chief, my highest wish ! Then would my rest- 
less longings be stilled. But far, far away must it 
he. I would see that glorious Switzerland, I would 
visit Italy, I would — ” 

It was well both for himself and for us that the 
Clogs fulfilled his wish without delay, else he would 


304 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


have gone roaming nobody knows where. He trav- j 
elled. He was travelling in Switzerland, pent' up 
with eight other passengers inside a diligence; he 
had a bad pain in his head, worse in his back, and 
his feet were miserably swollen by their long confine- 
ment in tight boots. He was in a state between 
sleeping and waking. Within his right-hand pocket 
were his letters of credit, in his left pocket the pass- 
port, and in the little leathern purse, sewn inside his 
waistcoat, a few louis d’ors. Every dream foretold 
the loss of one or other of these treasures; thus he 
was continually starting up with feverish impatience, 
his hand describing a triangular movement from the 
right pocket to the left, and thence to his bosom, to 
feel whether all was safe. Umbrellas, sticks, and 
hats were suspended from the roof of the vehicle, 
shaking together over his head, and impeding the 
magnificent view opening before him. 

Dark, sombre, and grand was the landscape now 
spread around. The vast fir woods looked no larger i 
than little tufts of heather, shading those tremendous 
mountains whose summits were lost in the clouds. 

It began to snow, — the wind blew cold. 

“ Ah ! ” sighed he, “ if we were but on the other 
side of the Alps, then it would be summer, and I 
should be able to get my letters of credit cashed. 
The anxiety I feel about my money prevents me 


TH$ CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


305 


from enjoying Switzerland. Oh, that I were on the 
other side ! ” 

And immediately he was on the other side, travel- 
ling in Italy, between Florence and Rome. Before 
him, amid the dark, blue-tinted mountains, lay the 
lake of Thrasymene , 0 looking like flaming gold as 
it reflected the glorious evening sky. Here, on the 
spot where Hannibal 0 defeated Flaminius , 0 peaceful 
vines now lovingly entwine their bright, graceful 
tendrils, and pretty, half-naked children are guarding 
a herd of coal-black swine, crowded under the group 
of fragrant laur.el-trees growing by the wayside. 
Could we paint this picture so as to do it justice, 
every one would exclaim with delight, “ Beautiful 
Italy ! ” But the Divinity Student and his fellow- 
travellers said nothing. 

Poisonous flies and mosquitoes swarmed around 
them by thousands. Vainly did the unfortunate 
travellers strike at their tormentors with a myrtle 
bough — they cared little for that ; on the contrary, 
they stung the more. There was not a person in the 
carriage whose face was not swelled and disfigured 
by their bites. As for the poor horses, the flies 
settled upon them in such swarms that they looked 
like carrion ; and, if the driver alighted from his 
seat to chase them away, in another moment they 
were there again. The sun set ; a sudden chill 


306 ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 

thrilled through the entire landscape. It was like 
breathing the cold, damp air of a sepulchre, after a 
day’s enjoyment of the warmth of summer. The 
clouds and surrounding mountains now assumed that 
peculiar green hue which is sometimes observed 
in old paintings, and which to the untravelled eye 
might seem unnatural. It was, indeed, a beautiful 
scene — but the stomach was empty, the body 
wearied ; all the ardent longings of the heart were 
centred upon a comfortable lodging for the night — 
a blessing scarcely to be expected. 

Their road led through an olive forest, just as at 
home they might have had to wind their way through 
clumps of crooked willow trees. And here stood a 
solitary hostel. Some half-score of begging cripples 
lay encamped in front of it ; the most robust of them 
looking, to borrow an expression of Marryat’s, 0 like 
44 Famine’s eldest son, just come of age ; ” while, of 
the rest, some were blind, some crawled about with 
withered limbs, and some displayed shrunken arms 
and fingerless hands. Here was wretchedness in- 
deed. “Eccellenza, miserabili ! ” moaned they in full 
chorus, all eagerly stretching out their diseased mem- 
bers. The hostess received her newly-arrived guests, 
attired in a dirty blouse, with bare feet and dishev- 
elled hair. The doors were kept together by 
packthread ; the floor of the room was composed of 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


307 


bricks half broken up ; bats flew backwards and for- 
wards under the low ceiling ; and as to the odour — 

“ It would be as well if we had our supper served 
up in the stable,” said one of the travellers ; “ there, 
at least, one knows the atmosphere one breathes.” 

The windows were opened to let in a little fresh 
air, when forthwith arose the withered arms, and again 
was heard the eternal “ Miserabili, Eccellenza ! ” 
Various inscriptions might be seen adorning the 
walls, more than half of them about “ La belle Italia,” 
although anything but complimentary. 

Supper was brought in ; first came a soup com- 
posed of water seasoned with pepper and rancid oil. 
The latter ingredient also played a chief part in the 
salad ; stale eggs and roasted cocks’-combs formed 
the most savoury dishes, and even the wine had a 
culinary taste — it was, in fact, a genuine mixture. 
At night, the travellers’ boxes were piled up against 
the door ; one of the party was to guard them while 
the others slept. The lot fell upon our Divinity 
Student. Oh, how close was that room ! The heat 
was most oppressive ; the mosquitoes buzzed and 
stung without mercy ; the “ Miserabili ” outside 
groaned and moaned, even in their dreams. 

“ Yes, travelling would be very pleasant ! ” sighed 
the Student, “ if only one had not a body ! or if it 
could rest while the spirit roamed at large, free and 


308 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


unfettered ! Wherever I go, I am still tormented 
with an unaccountable craving which consumes my 
very soul. I long after something better than I can 
find ; something enduring — yes, something perfect ; 
but where, and what is it? And yet I do know 
what it is I desire ; it is Happiness — complete, last- 
ing Happiness ! ” 

No sooner had he spoken these words than he was 
once again at home ; long white curtains hung before 
the windows, and on the floor, in the centre of the 
room, was a black coffin. There he lay, sleeping the 
quiet sleep of death : his wish was fulfilled, his body 
rested while his spirit wandered free and unencum- 
bered by its earthly tabernacle. “ Call no man 
happy till he is in his grave : ” such were the words 
of Solon, and here was a fresh confirmation of the 
sage’s wisdom. 

Every corpse is, as it were, a sphinx, still propound- 
ing the same unalterable, unanswerable question. 
Thus did the mysterious sphinx, now lying in the 
black coffin before us, recall the ever painful doubt 
expressed in the following verses, which the Student 
had written two days previously : — 

“ O mighty Death, thy silence wakens dread, 

Fain would we raise the veil that hides thy brow; 

‘ Whither,’ we ask, ‘ is the loved spirit fled? 

Our brother and our friend, where dwells he now ? ’ 


THE CLOGS OF FORTUNE 


309 


“ We ask in vain, the thought which strove to scale, 

Boldly aspiring, the cloud-hidden skies, 

Recoils in terror — Faith and Knowledge fail, 

And awe and darkness blind our straining eyes. 

“ Yet, dark-brow’d Angel, welcome to our door ! 

Poor struggling human spirit, hail thy guest I 
Thy griefs, the world’s unkindness, vex no more 
When Death’s cold arms are clasped around thy breast.” 

Two figures are seen moving in the room : we 
recognise them both. They are the ambassador of 
Fortune, and the fairy, Care. They are bending 
over the dead man. 

“ Seest thou now,” said Care, “ what sort of hap- 
piness thy Clogs have conferred on humanity ? ” 

“ Surely,” replied Pleasure,’ “ they bestowed a real 
blessing upon him who slumbers here, if on no other.” 

“ Nay,” rejoined Care, “ his departure was his own 
choice, — he did not wait for his summons. The 
eyes of his spirit had not yet been opened to dis- 
cern those hidden treasures with which this world 
abounds ; he had not accomplished his destined 
task. I will confer on him a true benefit.” 

And she took the Clogs off his feet. Immediately 
the sleep of death was ended — the dead man arose 
with renewed life and vigour. Care vanished, and 
with her vanished the Clogs ; doubtless she consid- 
ered they had been proved to be her rightful property. 


THE SHEPHERDESS AND THE CHIMNEY 
SWEEPER 


Have you never seen an old-fashioned, oaken- 
wood cabinet, quite black with age, and covered with 
varnish and carving-work ? J ust such a piece of 
furniture, an old heirloom that had been the prop- 
erty of its present mistress’s great grandmother, once 
stood in a parlour ; it was carved from top to bottom, 
roses, tulips, and little stags’ heads with long branch- 
ing antlers, peering forth from amid the curious 
scrolls and foliage surrounding them. Moreover, in 
the centre panel of the cabinet was carved the full- 
length figure of a man, who seemed to be perpetually 
grinning, perhaps at himself, for in truth he was a 
most ridiculous figure. He had crooked legs, small 
horns on his forehead, and a long beard. The children 
of the house used to call him “ the crooked-legged 
Field -marshal- Major-General - Corporal - Sergeant,” 
for this was a long, hard name, and not many figures, 
whether carved in wood or in stone, could boast of 
such a title. There lie stood, his eyes always fixed 
upon the table under the pier glass, for on this table 
stood a pretty little porcelain Shepherdess, her mantle 
310 


* the shepherdess and the chimney sweeper 311 

[ gathered gracefully round her, and fastened with a 
red rose ; her shoes and hat were gilt, her hand held 
a crook — oh, she was charming ! Close by her stood 
a little Chimney Sweeper, likewise of porcelain; he 
was as clean and neat as any of the other figures. 
Indeed, the manufacturer might just as well have 
I made a prince as a chimney sweeper of him, for, 

I though elsewhere black as a coal, his face was as 
fresh and rosy as a girl’s, which was certainly a mis- 
take — it ought to have been black. His ladder in 
I his hand, there he kept his station, close by the little 
I Shepherdess. They had been placed together from 
\ the first, had always remained on the same spot, and 
had thus plighted their troth to each other. They 
suited each other so well, they were both young peo- 
j pie, both of the same kind of porcelain, both alike 
fragile and delicate. 

Not far off stood a figure three times as large as 
the others ; it was an old Chinese Mandarin , 0 who 
could nod his head. He, too, was of porcelain, and 
declared that he was grandfather to the little Shep- 
herdess. He could not prove his assertion. How- 
* ever, he insisted that he had authority over her ; and 
so, when “the crooked-legged Field-marshal-Major- 
General-Corporal-Sergeant ” made proposals to the 
little Shepherdess, he nodded his head in token of 
Ips consent. 


312 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


“ Now you will have a husband,” said the old 
Mandarin to her, — “ a husband who, I verily believe, 
is of mahogany-wood. You will be the wife of a 
Field-marshal-Major-General-Corporal-Sergeant, of a 
man who has a whole cabinet full of silver-plate, 
besides a store of no one knows what in the secret 
drawers ! ” 

“ I will not go into that dismal cabinet ! ” declared 
the little Shepherdess. “ I have heard say that 
eleven porcelain ladies are already imprisoned there.” 

“ Then you shall be the twelfth, and you will be 
in good company ! ” rejoined the Mandarin. “ This 
very night, when the old cabinet creaks, your nup- 
tials shall be celebrated, as sure as I am a Chinese 
Mandarin ! ” Whereupon he nodded his head and 
fell asleep. 

But the little Shepherdess wept, and turned to the 
beloved of her heart, the porcelain Chimney Sweep. 

“ I believe I must ask you,” said she, “ to go out 
with me into the wide world, for here we cannot 
stay.” 

“ I will do everything you wish,” replied the little 
Chimney Sweeper ; “ let us go at once ; I think I can 
support you by my profession.” 

“ If we could but get off the table ! ” sighed she. 
“ I shall never be happy till we are away, out in the 
wide world.” 


THE SHEPHERDESS AND THE CHIMNEY SWEEPER 313 


And he comforted her, and showed her how to set 
her little foot on the carved edges and gilded foliage 
twining round the leg of the table, till at last 
they reached the floor. But turning to look at 
the old cabinet, they saw everything in a grand 
commotion, all the carved stags putting their little 
heads farther out, raising their antlers, and moving 
their th roats, whilst “ the crooked -legged Field-mar- 
shal-Major-General-Corporal-Sergeant ” sprang up, 
and shouted out to the old Chinese Mandarin, “ Look, 
they are eloping ! they are eloping ! ” 

They were not a little frightened, and quickly 
jumped into an open drawer for protection. 

In this drawer there were three or four incomplete 
packs of cards, and also a little puppet theatre ; a 
play was being performed, and all the Queens, whether 
of Diamonds, Hearts, Clubs, or Spades, sat in the 
front row fanning themselves with the flowers they 
held in their hands ; behind them stood the Knaves, 
showing that they had each two heads, one above and 
one below, as most cards have. The play was about 
two persons who were crossed in love, and the Shep- 
herdess wept over it, for it was just like her own 
history. 

“I cannot bear this ! ” said she. “Let us leave 
the drawer.” But when they had again reached the 
floor, on looking up at the table, they saw that the 


314 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


old Chinese Mandarin had awakened, and was rock- 
ing his whole body to and fro with rage. 

“ Oh, the old Mandarin is coining ! ” cried the 
little Shepherdess, and down she fell on her porcelain 
knees in the greatest distress. 

“ A sudden thought has struck me,” said the 
Chimney Sweep ; “ suppose we creep into the large 
Potpourri Vase that stands in the corner ; there we 
can rest upon roses and lavender, and throw salt in 
his eyes if he comes near us.” 

“ That will not do at all,” said she ; “ besides, I 
know that the old Mandarin was once betrothed to 
the Potpourri Vase, and, no doubt, there is still 
some slight friendship existing between them. No, 
there is no help for it, we must wander forth together 
into the wide world.” 

“ Hast thou, indeed, the courage to go with me 
into the wide world ? ” asked the Chimney Sweeper. 
“ Hast thou considered how large it is, and that we 
may never return home again ? ” 

“ I have,” replied she. 

And the Chimney Sweeper looked keenly at her, 
and then said, “ My path leads through the chimney ! 
hast thou, indeed, the courage to creep with me 
through the stove, through the flues and the tun- 
nel ? Well do I know the way! we shall mount 
up so high that they cannot come near us, • and at 


THE SHEPHERDESS AND THE CHIMNEY SWEEPER 315 


the top there is a cavern that leads into the wide 
world.” 

And he led her to the door of the stove. 

“ Oh, how black it looks ! ” sighed she. However, 
she went on with him, through the flues and through 
the tunnel, where it was dark, pitch dark. 

“ Now we are in the chimney,” said he ; “ and look 
what a lovely star shines above us ! ” 

And there was actually a star in the sky, shining 
right down upon them, as if to show them the way. 
And they crawled and crept — a fearful path was 
theirs — so high, so very high ! but he guided and 
supported her, an,d showed her the best places 
whereon to plant her tiny porcelain feet, till they 
reached the edge of the chimney, where they sat 
down to rest, for they were very tired, and, indeed, 
not without reason. Heaven with all its stars was 
above them, and the town with all its roofs lay 
beneath them ; the wide, wide world surrounded 
them. The poor Shepherdess had never imagined 
all this ; she leant her little head on her Chimney 
Sweeper’s arm, and wept so vehemently that the gild- 
ing broke off from her waistband. 

“ This is too much ! ” exclaimed she. “ This can 
I not endure ! The world is all too large ! Oh, 
that I were once more upon the little table under 
the pier glass ! I shall never be happy till I am there 


316 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


again. I have followed thee out into the wide world, 
surely thou canst follow me home again, if thou lov- 
est me ! ” 

And the Chimney Sweeper talked very sensibly to 
her, reminding her of the old Chinese Mandarin and 
“the crooked-legged Field-marshal- Major-General- 
Corporal-Sergeant ” ; but she wept so bitterly, and 
kissed her little Chimney Sweep so fondly, that at 
last he could not but yield to her request, unreason- 
able as it was. So with great difficulty they crawled 
down the chimney, crept through the flues and the 
tunnel, and at length found themselves once more 
in the dark stove ; but they still .lurked behind the 
door, listening, before they would venture to return 
into the room. Everything was quite still ; they 
peeped out, — alas ! on the ground lay the old Chi- 
nese Mandarin ; in attempting to follow the run- 
aways, he had fallen down off the table, and had 
broken into three pieces — his head lay shaking 
in a corner ; “ the crooked-legged Field-marshal- 

Major-General-Corporal-Sergeant ” stood where he 
had always stood, thinking over what had hap- 
pened. 

“ Oh, how shocking ! ” exclaimed the little Shep- 
herdess ; “ old grandfather is broken in pieces, and 
we are the cause ! I shall never survive it ! ” and 
she wrung her delicate hands. 


THE SHEPHERDESS AND THE CHIMNEY SWEEPER 317 


“ He can be put together again,” replied the Chim- 
ney Sweeper. “ He can very easily be put together ; 
only be not so impatient ! If they glue his back 
together, and put a strong rivet in his neck, then he 
will be as good as new again, and will be able to say 
plenty of unpleasant things to us.” 

“ Do you really think so ? ” asked she. And then 
they climbed up the table to the place where they 
had stood before. 

“ See how far we have been ! ” observed the 
Chimney Sweeper ; “ we might have spared ourselves 
all the trouble.” 

“ If we could but have old grandfather put to- 
gether ! ” said the Shepherdess. “ Will it cost very 
much ? ” 

And he was put together ; the family had his back 
glued and his neck riveted ; he was as good as new, 
but could no longer nod his head. 

“ You have certainly grown very proud since you 
broke in pieces ! ” remarked “ the crooked-legged 
Field-marshal-Major- General -Corporal -Sergeant ” ; 
“ but I must say, for my part, I do not see that there 
is anything to be proud of. Am I to have her, or 
am I not? Just answer me that ! ” 

And the Chimney Sweeper and the little Shep- 
herdess looked imploringly at the old Mandarin, they 
were so afraid lest he should nod his head ; but nod 


318 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


he could not, and it was disagreeable to him to tell 
a stranger that he had a rivet in his neck ; so the 
young porcelain people always remained together. 
They blessed the grandfather’s rivet, and loved each 
other till they broke in pieces. 


THE TINDER BOX 


A Soldier was marching along the high-road — 
right, left ! right, left ! He had his knapsack on his 
back and a sword his side, for he had been to the 
wars, and was now returning home. And on the 
road he met an old Witch — a horrid-looking crea- 
ture she was, her lower lip hung down almost to her 
neck. 

“ Good evening, Soldier ! ” said she. “ What a 
bright sword, and what a large knapsack, you have, 
my fine fellow ! I’ll tell you what, you shall have 
as much money for your own as you can wish ! ” 

“Thanks, old Witch ! ” cried the Soldier. 

“ Do you see yonder large tree ? ” said the Witch, 
pointing to a tree that stood close by the wayside. 
“It is quite hollow within. Climb up to the top, 
and you will find a hole large enough for you to 
creep through, and thus you will get down into the 
tree. I will tie a rope round your waist, so that I 
can pull you up again when you call me.” 

“ But what am I to do down in the tree ? ” asked 
the Soldier. 


319 


320 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


“ What are you to do ? ” repeated the Witch ; 
“ why, fetch money, to be sure ! As soon as you get 
to the bottom, you Avill find yourself in a wide pas- 
sage; it is quite light, more than a hundred lamps 
are burning there. Then you will see three doors ; 
you can open them, the keys are in the locks. On 
opening the first door you will enter a room; in the 
midst of it, on the floor, lies a large chest; a dog is 
seated on it, his eyes are as large as tea cups ; but 
never you mind, don’t trouble yourself about him ! 
1 will lend you my blue apron ; you must spread 
it out on the floor, then go briskly up to the dog, 
seize him, and set him down on it; and after that is 
done, you can open the chest, and take as much 
money out of it as you please. That chest contains 
none but copper coins ; but if you like silver better, 
you have only to go into the next room. There you 
will find a dog with eyes as large as millwheels, but 
don’t be afraid of him ; you have only to set him 
down on my apron, and then rifle the chest at your 
leisure. But if you would rather have gold than 
either silver or copper, that is to be had too, and as 
much of it as you can carry, if you pass on into the 
third chamber. The dog that sits on this third 
money chest has two eyes, each as large as the Round 
Tower. A famous creature he is, as you may fancy; 
but don’t be alarmed, just set him down on my apron 


THE TINDER BOX 


321 


and then he will do you no harm, and you can take 
as much golden treasure from the chest as you like.” 

“Not a bad plan that, upon my word ! ” said the 
Soldier. “ But how much of the money am I to give 
you, old woman ? For you’ll want your full share of 
the plunder, I’ve a notion ! ” 

“Not a penny will I have,” returned the Witch. 
“ The only thing I want you to bring me is an old 
tinder box, which my grandmother left there by 
mistake last time she was down in the tree.” 

“Well, then, give me the rope to tie -round my 
waist, and I’ll be gone,” said the Soldier. 

“ Here it is,” said the Witch, “ and here is my blue 
apron.” 

So the Soldier climbed the tree, let himself down 
through the hole in the trunk, and suddenly found 
himself in the wide passage, lighted up by many hun- 
dred lamps, as the Witch had described. 

He opened the first door. Bravo ! There sat the 
dog with eyes as large as tea cups, staring at him as 
though in utter amazement ! 

“ There’s a good creature ! ” quoth the Soldier, as 
he spread the Witch’s apron on the floor, and lifted 
the dog upon it. He then filled his pockets with the 
copper coins in the chest, shut the lid, put the dog 
back into his place, and passed on into the second 
apartment. 


322 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


Huzza ! there sat the dog with eyes as large as 
millwheels. 

“ You had really better not stare at me so,” re- 
marked the Soldier, 44 it will make your eyes weak ! ” 
and herewith he set the dog down on the Witch’s 
apron. But when, on raising the lid of the chest, he 
beheld the vast quantity of silver money it contained, 
he threw all his pence away in disgust, and hastened 
to fill his pockets and his knapsack with the pure 
silver. 

And he ’passed on into the third chamber. Now, 
indeed, that was terrifying ! The dog in this cham- 
ber actually had a pair of eyes each as large as the 
Round Tower, and they kept rolling round and round 
in his head like wheels. 

44 Good evening ! ” said the Soldier, and he lifted 
his cap respectfully, for such a monster of a dog as 
this he had never in his life before seen or heard of. 
He stood still for a minute or two, looking at him, 
then thinking, 44 The sooner it’s done the better ! ” he 
took hold of the immense creature, removed him from 
the chest to the floor, and raised the lid of the chest. 

Oh, what a sight of gold was there ! enough to buy 
not only all Copenhagen, but all the cakes and sugar- 
plums, all the tin soldiers, whips, and rocking horses, 
in the world ! Yes, he must be satisfied now. 
Hastily the Soldier threw out all the silver money 


THE TINDER BOX 


323 


he had stuffed into his pockets and knapsack, and 
took gold instead ; not only his pockets and knap- 
sack, but his soldier’s cap and boots, he crammed full 
of gold — bright gold ! — heavy gold ! — he could 
hardly walk for the weight he carried. He lifted the 
dog on the chest again, banged the door of the room 
behind him, and called out through the tree : — 

“ Halloo, you old Witch ! pull me up again ! ” 

“ Have you got the tinder box ? ” asked the 
Witch. 

“ Upon my honour, I’d quite forgotten it ! ” 
shouted the Soldier, and back he went to fetch it. 
The Witch then drew him up through the tree, and 
now he again stood in the high-road, his pockets, 
boots, knapsack, and cap stuffed with gold pieces. 

“ J ust tell me now, what are you going to do with 
the tinder box ? ” inquired the Soldier. 

“ That’s no concern of yours,” returned the Witch. 
“ You’ve got your money, give me my tinder box this 
instant.” 

“Well, take your choice,” said the Soldier; 
“ either tell me at once what you want with the 
tinder box, or I draw my sword, and cut off your 
head.” 

“I won’t tell you !” screamed the Witch. 

So the Soldier drew his sword and cut off her 
head. There she lay ! but he did not waste time in 


324 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


looking at what he had done, he made haste to knot 
all his money securely in the Witch’s blue apron, 
made a bundle of it and slung it across his back, put 
the tinder box into his pocket, and went straight to 
the nearest town. 

It was a large, handsome town; a city, in fact. He 
Avalked into the first hotel in the place, called for the 
best rooms, and ordered the choicest and most ex- 
pensive dishes for his supper, for he was now a rich 
man, with plenty of gold to spend. 

The servant who cleaned his boots could not help 
thinking they were disgracefully shabby and worn to 
belong to such a grand gentleman. However, next 
day he provided himself with new boots and very gay 
clothes besides. Our Soldier was now a great man, 
and the people of the hotel were called in to give 
him information about all the places of amusement 
in the city, and about their King, and the beautiful 
Princess, his daughter. 

“ I should rather like to see her ! ” observed the 
Soldier ; “ just tell fne when I can.” 

“No one can see her at all,” was the reply ; “ she 
dwells in a great copper palace, with ever so many 
walls and towers round it. No one but the King raajr 
go and visit her there, because it has been foretold 
that she will marry a common soldier, and our King 
would not like that at all.” 


THE TINDER BOX 


325 


“ Shouldn’t I like to see her though, just for once!” 
thought the Soldier, but it was of no use for him to 
wish it. 

And now he lived such a merry life, went continu- 
ally to the theatre, drove out in the Royal Gardens, 
and gave so much money in alms to the poor! to all, 
in fact, who asked him. And this was well done in 
him; to be sure, he knew by past experience how 
miserable it was not to have a shilling in one’s 
pocket. He was always gaily dressed, and had such 
a crowd of friends, who one and all declared he was a 
most capital fellow — a real gentleman! And that 
pleased our Soldier uncommonly. But as he was now 
giving and spending every day, and never received 
anything in return, his money began to fail him, and 
at last he had only twopence left, and was forced to 
remove from the splendid apartments where he had 
lodged hitherto, and take refuge in a little bit of an 
attic chamber, where he had to brush his boots and 
darn his clothes himself, and where none of his 
friends ever came to see him, because there were so 
many stairs to go up, it was quite fatiguing. 

It was a very dark evening, and he could not afford 
to buy himself so much as a rushlight. However, he 
remembered all at once that there were a few matches 
lying in the tinder box that the old Witch had bade 
him fetch out of the hollow tree. So he brought out 


326 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


this tinder box and began to strike a light, but no 
sooner had he rubbed the flint-stone and made the 
sparks fly out than the door burst suddenly open, 
and the Dog with eyes as large as tea cups, and 
which he had seen in the cavern t beneath the tree, 
stood before him and said, “ What commands has my 
master for his slave ? ” 

“ Upon my honour, this is a pretty joke ! ” cried 
the Soldier ; “ a fine sort of tinder box this is, if it 
will really provide me with whatever I want. Fetch 
me some money this instant! ” said he to the Dog ; 
whereupon the creature vanished, and lo! in half a 
minute he was back again, holding in his mouth 
a large bag full of pence. So now the Soldier under- 
stood the rare virtue of this charming tinder box. 
If he struck the flint only once, the dog that sat on 
the chest full of copper came to him ; if he struck 
it twice, the dog that watched over the silver an- 
swered the summons ; and if he struck it three times, 
he was forthwith attended by the monstrous guardian 
of the golden treasure. 

The Soldier could now remove back to his princely 
apartments, he bought himself an entirely new suit 
of clothes, and all his friends remembered him again 
and loved him as much as ever. 

But one evening the thought occurred to him, 
“ How truly ridiculous it is that no one should be 


THE TINDER BOX 


327 








allowed to see this Princess ! they all say she is so 
very beautiful — what a shame it is that she should 
be mewed up in that great copper palace with the 
towers guarding it round! And I do want so to see 
her — where’s my tinder box, by-the-bye ? ” He 
struck the flint, and lo! before him stood the Dog 
with eyes as large as tea cups. 

“ It is rather late, I must own,” began the Soldier ; 
“ but I do want to see the Princess so much — only 
for one minute, you know ! ” 

And the Dog was out of the door, and before the 
Soldier had time to think of what he should say or 
do, he was back again with the Princess sitting asleep 
on his back. A real Princess was this ! so beautiful, so 
enchantingly beautiful ! the Soldier could not help 
himself, he knelt down and kissed her hand. 

The Dog ran back to the palace with the Princess 
that very minute ; however, next morning, while she 
was at breakfast with the King and Queen, the Prin- 
cess said that she had had such a strange dream dur- 
ing the past night. She had dreamt that she was 
riding on a dog, an enormously large dog, and that 
a soldier had knelt down to her and kissed her 
hand. 

“ A pretty sort of a dream, indeed ! ” exclaimed 
the Queen. 

And she insisted that one of the old ladies of the 


328 


ANDERSEN- S FAIRY TALES 


court should watch by the Princess’s bedside on the 
following night, in case she should again be disturbed 
by dreams. 

The Soldier longed so exceedingly to see the fair 
Princess of the copper palace again ; accordingly, 
next evening, the Dog was summoned to fetch her. 
So he did, and ran as fast as he could ; however, not 
so fast but that the ancient dame watching at the 
Princess’s couch found time to put on a pair of 
waterproof boots before running after them. She 
saw the Dog vanish in a large house ; then, thinking 
to herself, “Now I know what to do,” she took out 
a piece of chalk and made a great white cross on the 
door. She then went home and betook herself to 
rest, and the Princess was home almost as soon. But 
on his way the Dog chanced to observe the white 
cross on the door of the hotel where the Soldier lived; 
so he immediately took another piece of chalk and 
set crosses on every door throughout the town. And 
this was wisely done on his part. 

Early in the morning came out the King, the 
Queen, the old court-dame, and all the officers of 
the royal household, every one of them curious to see 
where the Princess had been. 

“ Here it is ! ” exclaimed the King, as soon as he 
saw the first street door with a cross chalked on it. 

“ My dear, where are your eyes ? — this is the 


THE TINDER BOX 


329 


house,” cried the Queen, seeing the second door bear 
a cross. 

“No, this is it, surely — why, here’s a cross too ! ” 
cried all of them together, on discovering that there 
were crosses on all the doors. It was evident that 
their search would be in vain, and they were obliged 
to give it up. 

But the Queen was an exceedingly wise and pru- 
dent woman ; she was good for something besides 
sitting in a state carriage, and looking very grand 
and condescending. She now took her gold scissors, 
cut a large piece of silk stuff into strips, and sewed 
these strips together, to make a pretty, neat little bag. 
This bag she filled with the finest, whitest flour, and 
with her own hands tied it to the Princess’s waist, 
and when this was done, again took up her golden 
scissors, and cut a little hole in the bag, just large 
enough to let the flour drop out gradually all the 
time the Princess was moving. 

That evening the Dog came again, took the Prin- 
cess on his back, and ran away with her to the Sol- 
dier. Oh, how the Soldier loved her, and how he 
wished he were a prince, that he might have this 
beautiful Princess for his wife ! 

The Dog never perceived how the flour went drip, 
dripping, all the way from the palace to the Soldier’s 
room, and from the Soldier’s room back to the palace. 


330 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


So next morning the King and Queen could easily 
discover where their daughter had been carried, and 
they took the Soldier, and cast him into prison. 

And now he sat in the prison. Oh ! how dark it 
was, and how wearisome ! and the turnkey kept com- 
ing in to remind him that to-morrow he was to be 
hanged. This piece of news was by no means agree- 
able, and the tinder box had been left in his lodgings 
at the hotel. 

When morning came, he could, through his nar- 
row iron grating, watch the people all hurrying out 
of the town to see him hanged ; he could hear the 
drums beating, and presently, too, he saw the sol- 
diers marching to the place of execution. What a 
crowd there was rushing by ! among the rest was 
a shoemaker’s apprentice in his leathern apron and 
slippers ; he bustled on with such speed that one of 
his slippers flew off and bounded against the iron 
staves of the Soldier’s prison window. 

“ Stop, stop, little ’prentice ! ” cried the Soldier ; 
“it’s of no use for you to be in such a hurry, for 
none of the fun will begin till I come ; but if you’ll 
oblige me by running to my lodgings and fetching 
me my tinder box, I’ll give you twopence. But you 
must run for your life ! ” The shoemaker’s boy 
liked the idea of earning twopence, so away he raced 
after the tinder box, returned, and gave it to the 


THE TINDER BOX 


331 


Soldier, and then — ah, yes, now we shall hear what 
happened then ! 

Outside the city a gibbet had been erected ; round 
it were marshalled the soldiers, with many hundred 
thousand people, men, women, and children ; the 
King and Queen were seated on magnificent thrones, 
exactly opposite the judges and the whole assembled 
council. 

Already had the Soldier mounted the topmost step 
of the ladder, already was the executioner on the 
point of fitting the rope round his neck, when, turn- 
ing to their Majesties, he began to entreat most 
earnestly that they would suffer a poor criminal’s 
innocent fancy to be gratified before he underwent 
his punishment. He wished so much, he said, to 
smoke a pipe of tobacco, and as it was the last pleas- 
ure he could enjoy in this world, he hoped it would 
not be denied him. 

The King could not refuse this harmless request ; 
accordingly the Soldier took out his tinder box and 
struck the flint — once he struck it, twice he struck 
it, three times he struck it ! — and lo ! all the three 
wizard Dogs stood before him, the Dog with eyes as 
large as tea cups, the Dog with eyes as large as mill- 
wheels, and the Dog with eyes each as large as the 
Round Tower ! 

“ Now help me, don’t let me be hanged ! ” cried the 


332 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


Soldier. And forthwith the three terrible Dogs fell 
upon the judges and councillors, tossing them high 
into the air — so high, that on falling down to the 
ground again they were broken in pieces. 

“We will not — ” began the King, but the mon- 
ster Dog, with eyes as large as the Round Tower, did 
not wait to hear what his Majesty would not; he 
seized both him and the Queen, and flung them up 
into the air after the councillors. And the soldiers 
were all desperately frightened, and the people 
shouted out with one voice, “Good Soldier, you 
shall be our King, and the beautiful Princess shall 
be your wife, and our Queen ! ” 

So the Soldier was conducted into the royM car- 
riage, and all the three Dogs bounded to and fro in 
front, little boys whistled upon their Angers, and the 
guards presented arms. The Princess was forthwith 
sent for and made Queen, which she liked much 
better than living a prisoner in the copper palace. 
The bridal festivities lasted for eight whole days, 
and the three wizard Dogs sat at the banquet table, 
staring about them with their great eyes. 


THE FELLOW-TRAVELLERS 


Poor Hans was so unhappy ! for his father was 
very ill, and at the point of death. There was no 
one but himself to tend the sick man in his little, 
low-roofed chamber, the lamp on the table burned 
with a faint, expiring light, and it was already quite 
late in the evening. 

“ Thou hast always been a good and dutiful son to 
me, Hans,” said the dying father ; “ fear not, our 
Lord will be with thee, and help thee through the 
world.” As he spoke, he looked so fondly at the 
boy, with his grave, loving eyes ; then, fetching a 
deep breath, he died — as calmly as though he had 
but fallen asleep. But Hans wept bitterly, for now 
he had no friend nor relative in all the wide world, 
neither father nor mother, neither sister nor brother. 
Poor Hans ! He knelt down beside the bed, and 
kissed his dead father’s hand, weeping such bitter, 
salt tears, all the while ; till, at last, his eyes closed 
through utter weariness, and he fell asleep, his head 
resting against the hard corner of the bedstead. 

He dreamed a strange dream ; he saw sun and 
bowing before him, and he saw his father 
333 


moon 


334 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


fresh and healthy again ; and he heard him laugh 
as he had been wont to laugh when he was right 
happy and merry. A beautiful girl, wearing a gold 
crown upon her long, dark hair, smilingly extended 
her hand to Hans, and his father said, “ Seest thou 
what a rare bride thou hast won? She is the very 
loveliest maiden in the world.” Then he awoke ; 
all the glory and beauty of his dream was gone, his 
father lay cold and dead in his bed, and there was 
no one with him. — Poor Hans ! 

The next week the funeral took place. Hans 
followed close behind the coffin, he watched it till 
only one corner was left uncovered — one more shovel- 
ful of earth, and that too was seen no longer ; he felt 
as though his heart must burst with sorrow. The 
congregation around him were singing a psalm, — 
words and music melted into each other so sweetly, 
that they brought the tears into his eyes, — he wept, 
and weeping relieved the violence of his grief. The 
sun was shining gloriously on the green trees, as 
though he would say, “Thou must not be so un- 
happy, Hans ! See how beautiful and blue is yonder 
sky ; far beyond it dwells thy father now, and there 
he prays the Almighty that He will be thy guardian 
and shield, and that all may go well with thee.” 

“ I will always be good,” thought Hans, “ and then 
I shall some day join my father in heaven ; and oh, 


THE FELL 0 W- TRA VELLERS 


335 


what joy it will be when we see each other again ! 
I shall have so many things to tell him, and he, too, 
will tell me so many things — will teach me about 
heavenly bliss and glory, as he taught me here on 
earth. Oh, what joy it will be ! ” 

Hans thought over this fancy so long, and the 
picture became so vivid in his mind, that he smiled 
with pleasure even whilst the tears were still undried 
on his face. The little birds in the chestnut-trees 
above his head kept twittering, “ Quivit, quirri-quirri- 
vit ; ” they were so joyous, although they, too, had 
been present at the funeral. But they surely knew 
that the dead man was now at rest, perhaps in bliss ; 
that he had, or soon would have, wings, far larger 
and lovelier than theirs, because he had been a good 
man whilst he lived on earth, and therefore they 
rejoiced. Hans watched them flying away from the 
green trees, far out into the world, and he felt the 
most ardent longing to fly with them. 

His first care was now to carve a large wooden 
cross to plant upon his father’s grave ; he brought it 
to the spot that same evening, and found that the 
grave was already strewn with sand and flowers. 
Stranger hands had done this, for all loved the good 
father who was dead. 

Early next morning, Hans packed up his little 
travelling bundle, and carefully secured in his belt 


336 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


his whole inheritance, consisting of fifty rix-dollars° 
and a few silver pennies, wherewith he intended to 
start on his wanderings through the wide world. 
First, however, he went to the churchyard, to his 
father’s grave, repeated the Lord’s Prayer over it, 
and then said, “ Farewell, dear father ! I will always 
be good, that thou mayest still pray the Almighty to 
be my guide and shield.” 

By the side of the footpath which Hans now trod 
grew many wild flowers — so fresh and so bright 
they looked in the warm sunshine ; and whenever 
the wind passed that way, they nodded to Hans, as 
if they would say, “Welcome to the green meadow 
lands ! Is it not pleasant here ? ” But Hans turned 
round once more, to cast a last glance at the old 
church where he had been baptized when an infant, 
and whither he had gone every Sunday with his 
father to worship God and sing His praises. And 
on looking back he saw standing in one of the holes 
of the church-tower the little Nisse , 0 with his pointed 
red cap, and shading his face with his bent arm from 
the sun, which shone straight into his eyes. Hans 
nodded farewell to him, and the little Nisse swung 
his red cap aloft, pressed his hand to his heart, and 
kissed his fingers repeatedly, to show that he wished 
the young traveller well, and hoped he might have a 
right pleasant journey. 


THE FELL 0 W— TEA V ELLERS 


337 


Hans now began to think of the vast number of 
beautiful sights that he would see in the great, glori- 
ous world, and he walked on faster and faster, farther 
and farther, by roads that he had never traversed 
before ; he knew not the villages he passed through, 
nor the people that he met, he was now quite in a 
strange land, and surrounded by strangers. 

The first night he was forced to lay himself down 
to rest in a haystack under the open sky — other 
couch he had none. But he was perfectly satisfied, 
and thought that not even the King could be lodged 
more magnificently than he was. The wide meadow, 
with the brooklet flowing through it, and with the 
blue heavens spread above, formed a beautiful state 
bedchamber. The green turf, with its tiny red and 
white flowerets, was his carpet; the elder bushes 
and wild roses were vases of flowers ; and the brook- 
let, with the reeds growing on its banks, and nod- 
ding to him a friendly “ good morning ” and “ good 
evening,” served as his water ewer. The moon was 
a gloriously large night lamp, hung high up amid 
the blue canopy of heaven, yet without any danger 
of setting fire to the curtains ; Hans could sleep in 
perfect security. And he slept well and soundly, 
and did not wake till the sun had risen, and all the 
little birds around him sang loudly, “ Good morning ! 
good morning ! Have you not yet got up ? ” 


338 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


On continuing his wanderings, and reaching the 
next village, he heard the church bells ringing ; it 
was Sunday, and all the people were going to church. 
And Hans went with them, sang hymns, and listened 
reverently to the Word of God, and felt as though 
he were once again in his own parish church, where 
he had been baptized, and had, Sunday after Sunday, 
knelt by his father’s side. 

In the churchyard outside there were so many 
graves, and on some of them high grass was growing. I 
w Perhaps my father’s grave will soon look like 
these,” thought Hans, “ now that I am away, and 
there is no one to pluck out the grass and strew 
flowers over it.” So he began to busy himself with 
clearing the graves here and there from weeds, set 
upright those wooden crosses that had fallen down, 
and restored the wreaths, which the wind had carried 
away, to their places. “ Who knows but that some ; 
one may do the same by my father’s grave, since I 
cannot do it?” thought he. 

At the churchyard gate stood an old beggar man, [ 
leaning on his crutch. Hans gave him his few silver 
pennies, and then went on his way, cheerful and con- I 
tented, farther out into the world. 

Towards evening a violent tempest arose. Hans 
made great haste to get under shelter, but dark 
night had gathered round him before he had caught 


THE FELLOW-TRAVELLERS 


339 


, sight of a house where he might take refuge. At 
I last he discovered himself to be close beside a little 
church, which stood alone on the summit of a hill. 
The door was ajar, and he crept in; here he would 
stay till the storm was allayed. 

“ I will sit down in this corner,” said he ; “ I am 
quite tired out, and it will do me good to rest a little 
I while.” And after first folding his hands and re- 
I peating his evening prayer, he leaned his head back 
I against the wall, and quickly fell into a sound sleep, 
| whilst it lightened and thundered outside. 

When he awoke it was midnight, the storm had 
I passed by, and the moon shone in through the high 
I church windows, its light falling full upon an open 
I coffin that lay on the floor in the midst of the 
1 church. A dead man lay in the coffin, and it had 
I been taken into the church to be left there till the 
■ grave was dug for it next morning, because the dead 
1 man had been a stranger, with no house of his own 
1 and no relatives to take charge of his remains. Hans 
h\ did not feel terrified at this sight, for he had a good con- 
1 science, and he knew that the dead can do no harm 
| to any one, only the living, the wicked it is that work 
I us ill. And two wicked living men were those dark 

i figures that stood by the coffin ; they were come with 
the evil intent of taking the poor helpless corpse out 
of the coffin, and throwing it out at the church door. 


340 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


“Why do you want to do that?” asked Hans, j 
when he discovered their intention ; “ it is very I 
wicked of you. In God’s name, let the dead rest in j 
peace.” 

“ Rest, indeed ! ” cried one of the men ; “ when he j 
has made fools of us both, when he has borrowed | 
money from us which he could not repay — and now 
he is dead, and we shall never get a farthing of our 
due. But we’ll have our revenge, that we will, and 
he shall lie like a dog outside the church door ! ” 

“ I have only fifty rix-dollars,° ” said Hans ; “ it is 
the whole of my portion, but I will gladly give them 
to you, if you will promise me, upon your honour, to 
leave this poor dead man in peace. I shall be able 
to get on without the money, no doubt; I have 
strong, healthy limbs of my own, and our Lord will 
help me.” 

“ Of course,” replied the two wicked men, “ if you 
will pay his debts we shall do him no harm, you may 
depend upon that ! ” And so they took the money 
that Hans offered them, laughed loud and scornfully 
at his simplicity, and went their way. Hans then 
laid the corpse straight again in the coffin, folded 
the cold, stiff hands, and bade the dead man fare- 
well. He then left the church, and walked with a 
light heart through the wood. 

The moonbeams pierced in here and there through 


THE FELLOW-TRAVELLERS 


341 


the trees surrounding him, and wherever their clear 
light fell were revealed the figures of the pretty, tiny 
elves, gambolling so merrily, and they were not in 
the least startled by his approach. They knew that 
he must be good and innocent, since none but those 
who are free from evil thoughts and wishes have 
power to see the elves. Some of them were no 
larger than one of Hans’ fingers, and had their long 
flaxen hair fastened up with golden combs ; by two 
and two they seesawed upon the heavy drops of dew 
that spangled the leaves and grass. Every now and 
then a dew-drop trickled down, and both little sprites 
were flung down with it into the long grass, and then 
what laughter there was among the rest of the merry, 
mocking elves ! It was quite droll to see their play. 
They sang too, and Hans recollected all their pretty 
j songs and glees, — he had heard them often when he 
t was a little boy. And great brown spiders, with 
silver crowns on their heads, were made to spin long 
suspension bridges and palaces from one tree to 
another for them, and the dew fell upon these deli- 
neate structures, and they glistened like glass in the 
i clear moonlight. And thus their gambols went on 
till sunrise. Then the tiny elves crept into the 
flower cups to sleep, and the wind took hold of their 
aery castles and suspension bridges, and carried them 
|by fragments through the air. 


342 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


Hans had just stepped out from the wood, when a ; 
deep, manly voice shouted from behind him, “ Halloo, < 
comrade ! whither go you?” 

“ Out into the wide world,” replied Hans ; “ I have j 
neither father nor mother, I am a poor unfriended | 
lad ; but I trust the angels will help me and be with j 
me.” 

“I, too, am going into the world,” rejoined the | 
stranger. “Suppose we join company?” 

“ Why should we not ? ” answered Hans, and thus j 
they were soon agreed. They went on together, 
talked, and became good friends. But Hans quickly [ 
discovered his stranger comrade was much cleverer | 
and more experienced than he was; he seemed to 1 
have travelled in every country on the earth, and to j 
have learnt everything. 

It was almost noon, and the sun stood high above | 
their heads, when they sat down under a wide-spread- | 
ing tree to eat their breakfast. While they were i 
thus engaged, it so chanced that an old woman, very : 
much wrinkled and almost crooked-backed, came 
hobbling by on her crutch. Over her shoulders she 
carried a bundle of fagots, which she had collected j 
in the wood; she had gathered up her apron, and 
out of one corner of it projected three bundles of 
ferns and willow boughs. Just as she was passing 
them her foot slipped, she fell, and gave vent to a 


THE FELLOW-TRAVELLERS 


343 


shrill cry of pain ; for she had broken her leg, poor 
old woman ! 

Hans instantly sprang up to help her, and proposed 
that they should carry her home. But his companion 
coolly began to unpack his knapsack, took out of it a 
little box, and said that he had there a healing oint- 
ment which would at once heal her leg and restore 
its strength, so that she would be able to get home 
without any assistance, and that as easily as if she 
had not fallen down at all. But if he did so much 
good to her, he should require her to do something 
for him, namely, to give him the three bundles of ferns 
and willow boughs which she carried in her apron. 

“ So you will be well paid, will you, master 
Doctor?” quoth the old crone, with a strange, uncom- 
fortable smile distorting her features. She did not 
like to part with her willow twigs, she said, for she 
had some trouble in procuring them. However, it 
was not exactly pleasant either to lie in the high- 
road with her leg broken. Accordingly she gave up 
the contents of her apron to the stranger, and he, in 
return, bent over her and anointed her leg with his 
precious ointment ; whereupon the old woman rose 
up and hobbled onward with considerable less diffi- 
culty than before she had fallen down. A famous 
ointment was this ! but it is not to be had at the 
apothecary’s. 


344 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


“ What can you want with those bundles of dry 
wood ? ” inquired Hans of his fellow-traveller. 

“ A fancy of mine ! ” was the reply. “ They are 
in my eyes prettier and more fragrant than bouquets 
of roses. We can none of us account for our fancies, 
you know.” 

“ Surely we shall have a storm presently,” observed 
Hans, after a pause, pointing to some dark, threaten- 
ing forms that rose up into the sky over the horizon. 
“ What terribly black, thick clouds ! ” 

“ What a mistake,” said his companion ; “ they 
are not clouds at all, they are mountains ! You can- 
not imagine how fresh and keen is the air on their 
crests, where clouds are around as well as above you, 
and such a wide prospect is spread beneath ! We 
are getting on bravely ! ” 

But though these cloud-like mountains seemed so 
near, the wanderers wended on the whole day with- 
out getting close up to them. Black fir woods 
clothed the mountain sides, and stones as large as 
whole towns lay scattered here and there. It would 
cost them hard labour, the stranger said, to cross the 
mountains. So he and Hans agreed to turn into an 
inn and rest, that they might start fresh and strong 
on the morrow upon their mountain rambles. 

The guest room in the inn they found crowded 
with people, for a man with a puppet show had just 


THE FELL 0 W- TRA V ELLERS 


345 


arrived and prepared his little theatre, and the people 
had been gathering together in this apartment to see 
the pretty sight. So they sat round, ranged in chairs, 
but the best and foremost place of all had been 
secured by a stout old butcher, his mastiff — such a 
grim-looking animal ! — standing by his side, and 
staring with all his might, just like any other spectator. 

And now the show began. A King and Queen 
were discovered sitting on magnificent thrones, and 
wearing gold crowns on their heads, and long trains 
to their robes. The prettiest little wooden dolls, 
with glass eyes and thick mustachios,. were stationed 
at the doors and windows, which they kept opening 
and shutting, so that their Majesties might enjoy 
a free current of air. It was such a pretty show 
and all was going on so smoothly and pleasantly, no 
tears, no bloodshed, nothing sad and tragic, it was 
a perfect comedy, when unfortunately — just as the 
Queen rose up from her throne and walked across 
the floor — the great mastiff, whom the sturdy mas- 
ter, in his eagerness to watch the show, had quite 
forgotten to hold in, the great mastiff, I say, — it is 
quite impossible to guess what he could be thinking 
of, — sprung up and, with one bound clearing the 
stage, seized the pretty Queen by her slender waist, 
so roughly that she was nearly broken in two; it 
was really quite terrible to see her ! 


346 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


The poor showman was so much grieved by this 
mischance that he was very near shedding tears ; 
the Queen was his very best doll, and the mastiff 
had actually bitten her head off before he could be 
forced to give up his victim. However, the specta- 
tors having all gone their ways, Hans’ fellow-traveller 
went up to the poor man and comforted him, assur- 
ing him he would find a remedy. And taking out 
of his knapsack the little jar which he had used to 
heal the old woman’s leg, he rubbed some of the 
ointment over the wounded doll, after which not 
only was it perfectly healed, but it received the 
power of moving all its limbs by itself, without there 
being any need of pulling the wires ; it had, indeed, 
become almost like a living human being, except that 
it could not speak. The showman was delighted 
beyond measure to see his Queen doll dance and walk 
of herself ; it was what none of his other dolls could do. 

Late in the night, when all the people in the inn 
were in bed, there was heard a heavy groaning and 
sighing, and it went on so long, that at last every- 
body got up to see what could be the matter. The 
puppet-showman rushed in a great hurry to his 
little theatre, for it seemed to him that the sighing 
came from thence. And a strange sight met his 
eyes. The King and the soldiers were lying heaped 
one upon another, keeping up a perpetual groaning, 


THE FELL 0 W- TRA TELLERS 


347 


and trying to make their great glassy eyes expressive 
of sorrowful entreaty, for they were all wanting to 
be anointed, as their Queen had been, so that they, 
too, might be able to move of themselves. The 
Queen, meantime, knelt on one knee, and lifted her 
pretty gold' crown on high, as though imploring, 
“ Take my crown, if you will, only anoint my con- 
sort and my courtiers ! ” and the showman was so 
much affected by this scene, that he immediately 
offered to give the stranger all the money he might 
receive for his entertainment on the following even- 
ing, if he would but anoint four or five of his best 
dolls with his wonder-working ointment. But the 
stranger said he did not want any money ; he wished 
nothing of him except the large sabre which the 
showman wore by his side ; and on that being given 
him, he readily anointed six of the dolls, which forth- 
with danced so prettily and gracefully that all the 
young girls in the inn, who were present, felt an 
irresistible inclination to begin dancing too. And 
dance they did ; and coachman and kitchen maid, 
waiter and chambermaid, danced also, and all the 
guests joined them ; nay, even the fire tongs ad- 
vanced and led out the shovel to perform the ma- 
zurka 0 ; but no sooner had these two made the first 
stamp than they both fell down, one over the other. 
Oh, a merry night was that ! 


348 


ANDERSEN’S fairy tales 


Next morning Hans and his fellow-traveller 
started early to climb up the high mountains, 
through the vast pine woods. They had clambered 
up so high that the church-towers far beneath them 
showed like little red berries scattered among the 
green of the landscape, and they could see over so 
many, many miles of country ! So much of the 
beauty of this fair world Hans had never before seen, 
and the sun shone warmly amid the blue vault of 
heaven, and the wind bore to him the notes of 
hunters’ bugle horns from various quarters — so 
sweet and wild were those notes! — and the tears 
stood in his eyes with transport and gratitude. 

His comrade, meantime, stood by with folded 
hands, as though in a deep reverie, yet nothing above 
or beneath, in sky or mountain cleft, in wood or 
town, escaped his keen glance. Presently a strain 
of deep, unearthly music seemed floating over their 
heads ; Hans looked up, and, behold ! a large white 
swan hovering in the air above, singing as Hans had 
never before heard any bird sing, but it was its death 
song. Ever fainter and weaker grew the notes, its 
graceful throat was bowed forward, and slowly it 
sank downwards, till at last it fell dead at their feet 
— the beautiful bird ! 

“ See what magnificent wings the creature has ! ” 
observed the stranger ; “ so large and purely white ! 


THE FELL 0 W— TRA TELLERS 


349 


they are well worth having ; I will take them with 
me. Now, you see, Hans,” added he, as with one 
stroke he severed the wings from the dead swan, 
“that this sabre is of some use to me.” 

They continued their wanderings over the moun- 
tains for many, many leagues ; till at last they saw 
lying beneath them a large city, with more than a 
hundred towers and cupolas, glistening like silver in 
the sunshine. In the very heart of this city rose a 
stately marble palace, its roofs overlaid with red 
gold ; here dwelt the King of the country. 

Our two travellers did not choose to go straight 
into the city ; they turned into a little wayside inn to 
shake the dust off their clothes, for they wished to 
make themselves look somewhat more decent and 
respectable before they appeared in the streets of the 
city. And here the innkeeper began to talk to them 
about the King, how that he was such a kind, good- 
hearted old man, and had never done an ill turn to 
any one all his life ; but that his daughter, the 
Princess, alas! she was a very wicked lady. She 
had no lack of beauty, if beauty could recommend 
her, for scarcely in all the world could a fairer 
maiden be found ; but then she was a sorceress, and 
through her malignant arts many a young and 
comely prince had lost his life. She had given free 
leave to all men, of whatever condition of life, to 


350 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


come and be her suitors ; any one might come, — be 
he a prince, or be he a tailor, it was all the same to 
her. She made him play with her at “ What are my 
thoughts like ? ” and if he could guess her thoughts 
three times, then she engaged to give him her hand, 
and he would be king over the whole country when 
her father died. But if he could not guess right 
the three times, and no one yet ever had done so, 
she always caused him to be immediately put to a 
cruel death ; one was hanged, another beheaded, so 
wantonly wicked and bloodthirsty was this Princess. 
Her father, the good old King, was cut to the heart 
by her cruelty and perversity, but still he could not 
interfere, for he had once declared that he would have 
nothing to do with her love affairs, — that she might 
do exactly as she pleased. So every time that there 
came a young prince to play at this fatal game with 
her and failed, he was either hanged or beheaded ; 
neither was it of any use to warn him beforehand, 
the Princess could so infatuate people when she 
chose. The old King, the innkeeper went on to say, 
was so much afflicted by all the misery thus brought 
upon the land, that he and all his soldiers spent one 
day every year in fasting jpid prayer, kneeling all 
day on the hard stones, praying that the Princess’s 
cruel heart might relent ; but relent she never 
would. All the old women who were given to 


THE FELL 0 W- TEA VELLERS 


351 


brandy drinking, on that day were wont to colour 
their potation black, before they drank it, in token 
of their sympathy with the universal mourning — 
and what could they do more than that ? 

“ The hateful Princess ! ” exclaimed Hans, when 
the innkeeper had finished his relation.* “To think 
of her bewitching people’s hearts in this manner ! 
I should never be such a fool, however charming 
she might be; I should hate her, rather than love 
her ! ” 

Just as he spoke thus a loud “ Hurrah ! ” from the 
people in the road made him hurry to the window. 
The Princess herself was riding past, and so enchant- 
ingly beautiful was she that people invariably forgot 
all her cruelty in their admiration, and always burst 
into a loud cry of joy whenever she appeared among 
them. Twelve fair young girls, all clad in white silk 
robes, and each bearing a golden tulip in her hand, 
rode on coal-black steeds before or beside her ; the 
Princess herself had a snow-white palfrey, very richly 
caparisoned. Her riding habit was of cloth of gold, 
sown, as it were, with rubies and diamonds ; the 
whip which she held in her hand glittered like a sun- 
beam ; the gold crown that pressed her rich dark 
tresses seemed composed of stars, and the light 
gauze-like mantle that robed her shoulders was com- 
posed of many thousand various-hued butterflies/ 


352 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


wings. Magnificent, indeed, was her attire ; but all 
this splendour was as nothing compared with the 
sunshine of her smile, the piercing light that flashed 
from her dark eyes, and the majesty enthroned on 
her high white forehead. 

As soon a& Hans beheld her the blood rushed to 
his face, and he could not utter a single word. The 
Princess looked, in truth, the very same as the fair 
maiden wearing the gold crown whom he had seen 
in his dream on the night of his father’s death. So 
beautiful he could not have imagined any mortal 
maiden to be, and he could not help loving her with 
all his heart. It could not be true, he said to him- 
self, the tale he had heard of her being a hard, cruel 
sorceress, who would have people hanged or be- 
headed because they could not guess her thoughts. 

“ Every one has free leave to become her suitor, 
even the poorest, — I will go up to the palace and 
woo her, for I feel I cannot live without her.” 

They all tried to persuade him to give up this 
idea, assuring him that he would fare no better than 
the suitors who had been before him. His fellow- 
traveller, especially, entreated him on no account to 
go up to the palace, but Hans would not listen to 
these friendly warnings; he carefully cleansed his 
dress, brushed his shoes till they were quite bright, 
washed his hands and face, combed his long fair hair, 


THE FELLOW-TRAVELLERS 


353 


and then started on his way alone through the city, 
straight up to the marble palace. 

“ Come in ! ” said the King’s voice, when Hans 
knocked at the door. Hans entered, and the good 
old King came forward to meet him, wearing his 
dressing gown and embroidered slippers, yet with his 
gold crown on his head, and holding in one hand the 
{ sceptre, in the other the orb, the symbols of kingly 
power. “ Wait a bit,” said he, and he put the golden 
orb under his arm, that he might extend his hand to 
Hans, and bid him heartily welcome. But as soon 
as ever he heard that Hans came as a suitor to his 
daughter he began to weep most bitterly, so that 
^sceptre and orb rolled down on the floor, and he was 
obliged to dry his eyes on his dressing gown. The 
poor old King ! 

“ Do not think of it ! ” implored he ; “ it will 
be with you as with all the rest. Come and look 
here.” 

And he led Hans out into the Princess’s pleasure- 
garden ; a ghastly sight greeted him here ! To 
many of the trees hung the wasted skeletons of 
three or four kings’ sons who had wooed the Prin- 
cess, but had not succeeded in guessing her thoughts. 
Every time the wind rustled the foliage of the trees, 
the dry skeletons rattled and clattered together. So 
horrible was the sight and sound, that the birds had 
2a 


354 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


all been scared away, and now never durst rest their I 
wings in this grove of death. The flowers were tied V 
up to human bones instead of sticks, and grisly skulls I 
grinned from behind every flower pot, or every plant 1 
that required shade from the winds. A pleasant I 
garden, in truth, was this for a Princess ! 

“ Here thou mayest see,” said the old King to 1 
Hans, “ what thy fate will be. Give up the mad I 
thought, I beseech thee ! Think, too, how unhappy 1 
it will make me ; have pity on me if not on thy- 1 
self ! ” 

Hans kissed the hand of the kind old King, and I 
tried to comfort him with the assurance that he felt I 
quite sure that he should succeed in winning the 1 
Princess, and that he could not possibly live without 1 
her. 

And now the Princess herself, returning from her $ 
excursion, came riding into the court of the palace | 
with all her ladies. The King and Hans went up 
to her and wished her good-day. She was so * 
gracious and friendly, she offered her hand to Hans, 
and he loved her more passionately than ever, and ! 
could less than ever persuade himself that she was 
really the wicked sorceress that people took her to be. 

They returned to the saloon, and a troop of prettily j 
dressed little pages came in, and handed round sweet- ! 
meats and gingerbread-nuts to every one, — the King, \ 


THE FELLOW-TRAVELLERS 


355 


| the Princess, her ladies, and Hans. But the old King 
, was so sad and downcast that he could enjoy noth- 
ing, and the gingerbread-nuts were too hard for his 
[ teeth. 

It was settled that Hans should come up to the 
palace again next morning, and that the judges and 
the whole assembled council were to be present as 
witnesses to the Princess’s game of “ What are my 
thoughts like ? ” If he guessed rightly this first 
time, he was to come again in like manner on the 
\ two following days ; but, hitherto, not one of the 
suitors to the Princess’s hand had survived the first 
day of trial. 

Hans did not lose his confidence in the least; on 
the contrary, his spirits rose more and more ; he 
thought only of the beautiful Princess, and would 
not believe but that he should succeed — how he 
knew not, and would not trouble himself with think- 
ing about it. Almost dancing with joy, he made his 
way back out of the town to the roadside inn, where 
his fellow-traveller was awaiting him. 

And here he could never weary of telling how kind 
and gracious the Princess had been toward him, and 
of extolling her surpassing loveliness. Already he 
longed most ardently for the morrow, when he 
might again go to the palace, and must guess the 
thought of his beloved. 


356 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


But his fellow-traveller sadly shook his head. “ 1 
love thee so much ! ” he said, “ and we might yet 
have stayed a long while together, but now I must 
lose thee alread}' ! My poor dear Hans ! But I 
will not disturb thy happiness on the last evening, 
perhaps, that we may spend together. We will be 
merry, right merry ; to-morrow, when thou art 
gone, I shall have time enough to weep.” 

All the people in the city had heard by this time 
of the arrival of a new suitor to the Princess, and 
there was general mourning in consequence. The 
theatres were shut up, the gardens and promenades 
were deserted, the King and the priests spent the 
day kneeling in the churches, and the cake women 
tied black crape sashes round their pretty sugar 
figures, for it was thought impossible that Hans 
could fare better than the suitors that had come 
before him. 

That evening the stranger ordered a large bowl 
of punch to be brought in, and told Hans that he 
must drink to the Princess’s health. But no sooner 
had Hans emptied his first glass than he felt his 
eyelids grow so heavy that he could no longer hold 
them up — he sank back in his chair and fell into a 
sound sleep. His fellow-traveller lifted him gently 
into bed, and it being now quite night and dark, he 
took out the large wings which he had cut off 


THE FELL 0 W- TEA V ELLERS 


357 


from the dead swan, and fastened them upon his 
; shoulders. Then, taking the bundle of ferns the 
\ old woman had given him, he opened the window 
, and flew out of the city straight to the marble 
palace, where he concealed himself in the corner of 
a bow window belonging to the Princess’s sleeping 
room. 

Perfect stillness reigned throughout the city. At 
: last the clock struck a quarter to twelve, whereupon 
the Princess’s window opened, and the Princess her- 
self, clad in a loose white mantle, and borne up by 
long black wings, flew out. Over the town she flew, 
and toward a high mountain in the distance, but 
Hans’ fellow-traveller instantly made himself invisi- 
ble, and followed the Princess through the air close 
behind her. A pleasant excursion was that ! but 
the stranger waved his bundle of ferns three times 
in the air, muttering, “ Blow, winds ! blow, north, 
south, east, and west ! ” whereupon the four winds 
arose and struggled in the air, beat in the Princess’s 
face, and took hold of her white over-wrapper, and 
kept it fluttering to and fro, till it spread out like a 
wide ship-sail on either side of her, the moon shining 
through it. 

“ How cold it is ! — how dreadfully cold ! — and 
how windy ! ” sighed the Princess. At last she 
reached the mountain, and tapped it with her hand, 


358 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


whereupon a deep, hollow rumbling, like thunder, 
was heard from within, and the mountain yawned 
asunder and opened. The Princess entered, Hans’ 
fellow-traveller still following ; no one could see him, 
however, he was invisible. 

They passed through a long, wide passage, whose 
walls glistened strangely, for more than a thousand 
red-hot spiders were running up and down them. 
The passage led into a large hall built of silver and 
gold ; flowers, some red, some blue, and as large as 
sunflowers, glistened from the walls ; but if any one 
had been so far deluded as to approach near to pluck 
them, he would soon have discovered that their green, 
twisted stalks were in reality poisonous snakes, and 
that the false flowers themselves were formed by the 
blue and red fire that issued from the venomous 
mouths of these snakes. The ceiling was sown with 
glow-worms and bats, which kept flapping their thin, 
bluish wings to and fro incessantly. In the centre 
of the hall stood a throne, supported upon four 
horse-skeletons, harnessed with the web of the fiery- 
red spiders ; the throne itself was of milk-white 
glass, and the cushions inside it were supplied by 
little black mice, who were continually snapping and 
biting at one another’s tails. Above it was a canopy 
of crimson spiders’ webs, studded with the prettiest 
little green flies, all glittering like precious stones. 


THE FELL 0 W- TRA VELLE RS 


359 


On the throne sat an aged Troll , 0 wearing a crown on 
his great ugly head, and holding a sceptre in his hand. 
He kissed the Princess on the forehead, and bade 
her sit down on the throne beside him. And now 
the band struck up. Great black grasshoppers played 
on the Jew’s-harp, and the owl came out with his 
44 Tu-whit, tu-whoo ! ” as chief vocalist. It was, in 
sooth, a ridiculous concert. Little black Nisses, 
with Wills-o’-the-Wisp on their caps, danced round 
and round the hall. The other personages of the 
Troll’s court certainly entered the saloon with a 
very grand air, and did their best to keep up the 
dignity befitting their gay attire ; but it did not 
need the keen-sightedness of our stranger traveller, 
who, having stationed himself close behind the throne, 
saw and heard everything, though no one could see 
him, to perceive what shams they were ; for, in 
reality, they were nothing else than broomsticks 
with cabbage heads, which the Troll had bewitched 
into some sort of life, and to which he had given 
gaily-embroidered dresses. They just served to 
keep up his state, and what did he want more ? 

After the dancing had gone on for some time, the 
Princess told the Troll that she had a new suitor, 
and asked what she should think of next morning 
when he came up to the palace to guess her thoughts. 

44 Listen! I will tell thee,” replied the Troll. 


360 . 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


“ Choose something very easy and simple, and he 
will be less likely to think of it. Think on thine 
own shoe — that he will never guess. Then you can 
have his head cut off. But, mind ! don’t forget to 
bring me his eyes to-morrow night — I will have 
them, or I will have thine own. Remember our 
compact ! ” 

The Princess bowed ver y low, and promised not to 
forget. Presently the Troll repeated some magic 
words, which made the mountain groan and yawn 
asunder, and the Princess flew out again. But Hans’ 
fellow-traveller followed her, swift as thought, and 
with his wizard ferns conjured up the four winds 
to blow more strongly than before ; and the Princess 
sighed heavily over the cold and windy weather, and 
made all possible haste to get back to the bow win- 
dow of her sleeping room. And the stranger, who 
was right weary of his night exercise, flew quickly 
back to the room where Hans was asleep, took off his 
wings, and laid himself down to rest. 

It was quite early in the morning when Hans 
awoke. He left his bed, and his fellow-traveller 
arose also ; he would not tell Hans of his flying 
adventure during the night, but, without making 
any mention of the mountain Troll, he begged Hans, 
when he went up to the palace, to ask the Princess 
if she had not thought of her own shoe. 


THE FELLOW-TRAVELLERS 361 

“ I may as well guess that as anything else,” was 
Hans’ reply ; “ and truly I believe the angels may 
have whispered it to thee during the night, my friend, 
for I hope and trust they are on my side. But now 

( let us bid each other farewell, for, if I do not guess 
right, I shall hardly see thee again.” 

So Hans went on his way to the palace. The wide 
festal saloon was crowded with people. The coun- 
i, cillors were seated in large easy-chairs, with cushions 
I of eider down to lean their heads upon, because they 
S all had the headache through having so many hard 
f questions to think about. The old King rose up 
| when Hans came in, and began drying his eyes with 
a white pocket handkerchief. Presently the Princess 
entered. She looked lovelier even than yesterday, 
and greeted the whole assembly with such a winning 
smile, — such enchanting grace ! But to Hans she 
held out her hand, saying, “ Good morning, my 
friend.” 

And now the game began : “ What are my 

thoughts like?” asked the Princess; and she looked 
at Hans so archly, so merrily, as she spoke ! But no 
sooner did she hear him bring out in answer the 
single word, “ Shoe ! ” than she turned pale, and all 
her limbs began to tremble. This availed her nothing 
— she could not deny that he had guessed right. 
Hurrah ! how glad the good old King was ! he 


362 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


jumped up and kicked his slippers into the air for j 
joy ; and the spectators all clapped their hands, some 
to applaud the King, some to show how pleased they ] 
were at Hans’ victory — for victory it was for this • 
one day, at least. 

His comrade, too, was well satisfied when he heard j 
of his success ; but as for Hans himself, he folded j 
his hands in quiet thankfulness that he had been j 
saved from peril of death. The very next day he j 
must undergo his second trial. 

The evening passed just like the foregoing evening, j 
As soon as Hans was asleep, his fellow-traveller flew j 
out, and followed the Princess to the weird moun- 1 
tain ; this time, however, he took with him not only ; 
the old woman’s fern bundle, but one of the willow 
boughs, and called up therewith a storm, not; only of 1 
wind but of rain ; in torrents it poured upon the i 
poor Princess, and right glad was she to reach the j 
shelter of the mountain. Within it, no one perceived 1 
the stranger, but he was there, nevertheless, and j 
heard and saw everything that went on. This time 
it was settled that the Princess should think of her ' 
glove ; Hans received his instructions accordingly, 
and could not but guess aright : and such joy as 
there was at the palace. 

The whole court cut capers just as they had seen | 
the King do on the former occasion ; but as for the J 


THE FELL 0 W— TRA VELLERS 


363 


Princess, she threw herself clown upon a sofa, and 
would not speak a single word. 

And now Hans had to guess but once more. If 
lie succeeded on the third day also, the beautiful 
Princess, whom he loved so passionately, would be- 
come his bride, and he should be king over the whole 
country after her old father’s death ; but if he 
guessed wrong, then, alas ! he must lose his life, and 
his bright blue eyes would be carried as a tribute 
to the wicked mountain Troll. 

. Hans went to rest earlier than usual that evening, 
and soon fell into a sound and peaceful slumber. 
His fellow-traveller then fastened the swan wings 
on his shoulders, buckled the sabre to his girdle, 
took all the three wizard wands in his hand, and, 
thus equipped, flew off to the marble palace. 

The night was pitch dark, and the wind had risen 
already ; but when the traveller had waved aloft each 
of his wands three times, thus stirring up the three- 
fold powers of wind, rain, and hail, a most tremen- 
dous storm burst forth. The trees in the garden of 
skeletons bowed like reeds to the blast. It lightened 
every moment, and the thunder rolled on continu- 
ously, as though it would never cease the whole night 
long. The bow window opened and the Princess 
fluttered out into the wild atmosphere. She was 
pale as death ; not that she was afraid of tempests, 


364 ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 

for she was wont to delight in them; but this night, 
when her white mantle spread out around her like 
a sail unfurled by the wind, when the rain streamed 
pitilessly on her face, and the hailstones pelted her 
on all sides, she hovered on slowly and with pain, 
and her wings could scarcely bear her up; she ex- 
pected to sink to the ground every instant. At last 
she won the weird mountain. 

“ There’s such a hailstorm without ! ” said she, on 
entering; “I never knew such weather as it is.” 

“ One may have too much even of a good thing,” 
replied the Troll. 

And now she told him, shivering with fear and 
dread all the while she spoke, that Hans had most 
unaccountably guessed right the second time; if he 
should win on the third trial also, the game would be 
his, indeed, and she might never again come to ’the 
weird mountain, never again pay her tribute to the 
Troll, as she had sworn to do — her life would be 
forfeit; or, even if the Troll would free her from her 
engagement, she could not live, since she should be 
forbidden to practise the magic arts it had cost her so 
much to learn. And she wept most bitterly. 

“Never fear ! he shall not guess this time, depend 
upon it ! ” replied the Troll ; “ I will find something 
he has never thought of in his life, unless, indeed, he 
be a greater wizard than myself. But now let us be 


THE FELL 0 W- TRA VELLERS 


365 


right merry ! ” And he took the Prineess by the 
hand, and danced with her all round the hall, the 
Nisses and Wills-o’-the- Wisp all doing the like, and 
the red spiders springing merrily up and down the 
glistening walls. The owl tu-whooed and tu-whitted 
with all his might ; the crickets chirped, and the 
black grasshoppers blew on the Jew’s-harps. A regu- 
lar wizard ball was that. 

After they had danced themselves weary, the Prin- 
cess said she must hasten home, for she feared she 
might be missed at the palace. The Troll, who seemed 
unwilling to let her go, then declared he would escort 
her, so that they might have the more time together. 

So away they flew through the storm, the traveller 
waving his three wands close behind them; never 
had the Troll been out in such a hurricane. When 
they arrived at the palace he bade the Princess fare- 
well, and at the same moment whispered to her, 
“Think of my head ! ” But Hans’ fellow-traveller 
overheard it, and while the Princess was slipping into 
her room through the window, and just as the Troll 
was about to turn round and fly back to his mountain, 
he seized him by the long black beard, and, drawing 
his sabre, cut off his huge demon head from his 
shoulders. The trunk he threw into the sea, to be 
food for the fishes; but the head he merely dipped 
into the water, and then wrapped it up in his silk 


366 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


handkerchief, took it home with him to the inn, and 
lay down to rest. 

Next morning he gave the bundle to Hans, charg- 
ing him not to untie it until the Princess called upon 
him to declare what she was thinking of. 

There was such a crowd in the King’s hall that day, 
that the people all pressed one against the other, like 
radishes tied up in a bunch, and every man trod on 
his neighbour’s toes. The judges and councillors all 
sat in their easy-chairs, with the soft eider-down 
cushions to lean their heads on, and the old King had 
on an entirely new suit of clothes; his gold crown, and 
his sceptre, too, had been fresh polished, and glittered 
marvellously. But the Princess was very pale, and 
was clad in black robes, as though she were going to 
a funeral. 

“ What are my thoughts like ? ” asked she of Hans, 
for the third time, and immediately he untied the 
handkerchief ; but he started back with horror 
and amazement on beholding the hideous head 
of the mountain Troll. And a shudder thrilled 
through all the by-standers, and the Princess sat mute 
and motionless as a statue, and could not utter a syl- 
lable. At last she rose from her seat, and held out 
her snow-white hand to Hans, in token that he had 
guessed rightly this third time also, and thus had won 
the game. Looking neither at him nor at any one 


THE FELL 0 W- TRA VE LEERS 


367 


present, her eyes still riveted on the misshapen head 
in the handkerchief, and drawing in her breath 
heavily, she sighed rather than said, “ Now art thou 
my lord and master ! this evening must our bridals 
be solemnised.” 

“ Oh ! with all my heart ! ” cried the old King ; 
“ yes, this very evening ; how glad I am ! ” And 
the whole assembly burst into a loud “ Hurrah ! ” 

The band was called out to play in the streets, the 
church bells were all set ringing, and the cake women 
were in a great hurry to take the black crape off their 
sugar figures, for mourning was now changed into joy. 
Three oxen were roasted whole in the market place, 
besides fowls and ducks without end ; so that every 
one who wanted might come and have dinner. The 
fountains flowed with wine instead of water ; and if 
you went into the baker’s shop to buy a penny roll, 
he would give you six buns into the bargain — buns 
with currants in them too. 

In the evening the whole city was illuminated, the 
soldiers fired their guns, the little boys ran about let- 
ting off crackers ; there was eating and drinking, 
dancing and singing, in the palace, among all the 
fair ladies and gallant cavaliers of the court — no 
end to the rejoicings ! 

But amid all this gaiety the Princess remained pale 
and sad ; she had no love for Hans in return for the 


368 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


love lie bore her, and she still mourned for being de- 
barred the practice of her secret arts. Hans at last 
went in despair to his fellow-traveller to ask his 
counsel how to win his fair bride’s love, and to lure 
forth a smile from her face. And his fellow-traveller 
gave him a little phial, filled with a colourless liquid 
like water, together with three feathers from the 
swan wings, bidding him steep each of the three 
feathers in the liquid, and then sprinkle the Princess’s 
forehead with the drops clinging to the feathers — 
three times must he sprinkle her with each of the 
three feathers, and thus she would become free from 
her enchantment. 

Hans did exactly as his fellow-traveller had 
counselled him. He sprinkled the Princess’s brow 
three times with the first feather, and she uttered a 
loud shriek, and was transformed into a coal-black 
swan, with fiery-red eyes. He sprinkled the black 
swan with the second feather, whereupon it became 
pure white, excepting one black ring encircling its 
slender throat. He steeped the third feather, and 
shook the drops three times over the white swan’s 
head, and forthwith the swan was gone, and his own 
beloved and lovely Princess, — nay, a thousand times 
lovelier than ever, stood in its place, her cheeks 
glowing, her eyes sparkling so brightly, so meekly, 
and shedding tears of joy and thankfulness. 


THE FELL 0 W— TEA VEL LERS 


369 


She now told him, that wandering alone a few 
years back near the weird mountain, the evening 
hour, when evil spirits hold their sway, came on. 
She was surprised by the mountain Troll within his 
domain, and in his own hour. He cast his wicked . 
spells upon her, to make her serve his cruel purposes, 
and so potent were those spells that not even the death 
of the Troll himself could entirely release her from 
them. Again and again she thanked Hans for having 
freed her from their hateful enchantments. 

The good old King and all his court rejoiced yet 
more after this change. Presently Hans’ fellow- 
traveller, his wandering staff in his hand, and his 
knapsack on his back, came to the place to ask for 
Hans. Hans embraced him very eagerly, entreating 
him to stay always with him, and share in his great 
happiness. But his fellow-traveller shook his head, 
saying, very kindly and mildly, “No, that cannot 
be ; my time is up. I have now paid my debt. 
Rememberest thou not the dead man whom his evil- 
minded creditors would not have suffered to rest in 
his coffin ? Thou didst give all thy substance to 
secure him peace and rest. I am that same dead 
man ! ” 

And in the same moment he was gone. 

The bridal festivities lasted for a whole month. 
Hans and his .fair Princess loved each other dearly, 


370 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


and the good old King lived through many happy 
days, and delighted in nothing so much as in his tiny 
grandchildren, who used to play with his bright 
sceptre, and “ ride-a-cock-horse to Banbury cross ” 
on his knees. But Hans, in the course of time, ruled 
over the whole country, and became a great and 
powerful monarch. 


THE FLYING TRUNK 


There was once a merchant,- so rich that he might 
have paved the whole street where he lived, and an 
alley besides, with pieces of silver ; but this he did 
not do — he knew another way of using his money, 
and whenever he laid out a shilling, he gained a 
crown in return. A merchant he lived and a mer- 
chant he died. 

All his money then went to his son. But the son 
lived merrily, and spent all his time in pleasures ; 
went to masquerades every evening, made bank notes 
into paper kites, and played at ducks and drakes 
in the pond with gold pieces instead of stones. In 
this manner his money soon vanished, until at las^ he 
had only a few pennies left, and his wardrobe was 
reduced to a pair of slippers and an old dressing 
gown. His friends cared no more about him, now 
that they could no longer walk abroad with him. One 
of them, however, more good natured than the rest, 
sent him an old trunk, with this advice, “ Pack up, 
and be off ! ” 

This was all very fine, but he had nothing that he 
could pack up ; so he put himself into the trunk. 

371 


372 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


It was a droll trunk. When the lock was pressed 
close it could fly. The merchant’s son did press the 
lock, and lo ! up flew the trunk with him through the 
chimney, high into the clouds, on and on, higher and 
higher. The lower part cracked, which rather 
frightened him, for, if it had broken in two, a pretty 
fall he would have had ! 

However, it descended safely, and he found him- 
self in Turkey. He hid the trunk under a heap of ; 
dry leaves in a wood, and walked into the next town ; 
he could do so very well, for, among the Turks, I 
everybody goes about clad as he was, in dressing 
gown and slippers. He met a nurse, carrying a little \ 
child in her arms. “ Harkye, Turkish nurse,” quoth 
he. “ What palace is that with the high windows 
close by the town ? ” 

“ The King’s daughter dwells there,” replied the 
nufse. “ It has been prophesied of her that she shall 
be made very unhappy by a lover, and therefore no 
one may visit her except when the King and Queen 
are with her.” 

“Thank you,” said the merchant’s son; and he 
immediately went back into the wood, sat down in 
his trunk, flew up to the roof of the palace, and crept 
through the window into the Princess’s apartment. 

She was lying asleep on the sofa. She was so 
beautiful that the merchant’s son could not help 


THE FLYING TRUNK 


373 


kneeling down to kiss her hand, whereupon she 
awoke, and was not a little frightened at the sight of 
this unexpected visitor ; but he told her that he was 
the Turkish Prophet, and had come down from the 
sky on purpose to woo her ; and on hearing this she 
was well pleased. 

So they sat down side by side, and he talked to 
her about her eyes, how that they were beautiful 
dark blue seas, and that thoughts and feelings floated 
like mermaidens therein ; and he spoke of her brow, 
how that it was a fair, snowy mountain, with splen- 
did halls and pictures, and many other such like 
things he told her. 

Oh, these were charming stories ! and thus he 
wooed the Princess, and she immediately said 
“ Yes ! ” 

“ But you must come here on Saturday,” said she ; 
“ the King and Queen have promised to drink tea 
with me that evening ; they will be so proud and so 
pleased when they hear that I am to marry the 
Turkish Prophet ! And mind you tell them a very 
pretty story, for they are exceedingly fond of stories ; 
my mother likes them to be very moral and aristo- 
cratic, and my father likes them to be merry, so as to 
make him laugh.” 

“ Yes, I shall bring no other bridal present than 
a tale,” replied the merchant’s son ; and here they 


374 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


parted, but not before the Princess had given her 
lover a sabre all covered with gold. He knew ex- 
cellently well what use to make of this present. 

So he flew away, bought a new dressing gown, 
and then sat down in the wood to compose the tale 
which was to be ready by Saturday, and, certainly, 
he found composition not the easiest thing in the 
world. 

At last he was ready, and, at last, Saturday came. 

The King, the Queen, and the whole court were 
waiting tea for him at the Princess’s palace. The 
suitor was received with much ceremony. 

“ Will you not tell us a story ? ” asked the Queen ; 

“ a story that is instructive and full of deep meaning.” 

“ But let it make us laugh,” said the King. 

“ With pleasure,” replied the merchant’s son ; 
and now you must hear his story. 

“ There was once a bundle of Matches, who were 
all extremely proud of their high descent, for their 
genealogical tree — that is to say, the tall fir tree, 
from which each of them was a splinter — had been 
a tree of great antiquity, and distinguished by its 
height from all the other trees of the forest. The 
Matches were now lying on the mantelpiece, between ' 
a Tinder Box and an old iron Saucepan, and to these 
two they often talked about their youth. 4 Ah, 
when* we were upon the green branches,’ said they; 


THE FLYING TRUNK 


375 


' when we really lived upon green branches — - that 
was a happy time ! Every morning and evening we 
had diamond tea, that is, dew ; the whole day long 
we had sunshine, at least whenever the sun shone, 
and all the little birds used to tell stories to us. It 
might easily be seen, too, that we were rich, for other 
trees were clothed with leaves only during the sum- 
mer ; whereas, our family could afford to wear green 
clothes both summer and winter. But at last came 
the wood cutters ; then was the great revolution, and 
our family was dispersed ; the paternal trunk ob- 
tained a situation as mainmast to a magnificent ship, 
which could sail round the world if it chose ; the 
boughs were transported to various places, and our 
vocation was henceforth to kindle lights for low, 
common people. Now you will understand how it 
•comes to pass that persons of such high descent as 
we are should be living in a kitchen.’ 

44 4 To be sure, mine is a very different history,’ 
remarked the iron Saucepan, near which the Matches 
were lying. 4 From the moment I came into the 
world, until now, I have been rubbed and scrubbed, 
and boiled over and over again — oh, how many 
times ! I love to have to do with what is solidly 
good, and am really of the first importance in this 
house. My only recreation is to stand clean and 
bright upon this mantelpiece after dinner, and hold 


376 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


some rational conversation with my companions. 
However, excepting the Water Pail, who now and 
then goes out into the court, we all of us lead a very 
quiet, domestic life here. Our only newsmonger is 
the Turf Basket, but he talks in such a democratic 
way about “ government ” and “ the people ” — why, I 
assure you, not long ago, there was an old Jar stand- 
ing here, who was so much shocked by what he 
heard said, that he fell down from the mantelpiece I 
and broke into a thousand pieces! — that Turf 
Basket is a Liberal, that’s the fact — ’ 

“‘Now you talk too much,’ interrupted the Tinder i 
Box, and the steel struck the flint, so that the sparks 
flew out. ‘ Why should we not spend a pleasant j 
evening ? ’ 

“ ‘Yes, let us settle who is of highest rank among 
us ! ’ proposed the Matches. 

“ ‘ Oh, no, for my part I would rather not speak of j 
myself,’ objected the Earthenware Pitcher. ‘ Sup- ! 
pose we have an intellectual entertainment. I will 
begin ; I will relate something of everyday life, such 
as we have all experienced ; one can easily transport 
oneself into it, and that is so interesting ! Near the 
Baltic, among the Danish beech groves — ’ 

“ ‘ That is a capital beginning ! ’ cried all the 
Plates at once ; ‘ it will certainly be just the sort of 
story for me ! ’ 


THE FLYING TRUNK 


377 


“ 4 Yes, there I spent my youth in a very quiet 
family ; the furniture was rubbed, the floors were 
washed, clean curtains were hung up every fortnight.’ 

“ 4 How very interesting ! what a charming way 
you have of describing things ! ’ said the Hair Broom. 
4 Any one might guess immediately that it is a lady 
who is speaking ; the tale breathes such a spirit of 
cleanliness ! ’ 

4t4 Very true ; so it does ! ’ exclaimed the Water 
Pail, and in the excess of his delight he gave a little 
jump, so that some of the water splashed upon the 
floor. 

44 And the Pitcher went on with her tale, and the 
end proved as good as the beginning. 

44 All the Plates clattered applause, and the Hair 
Broom took some parsley out of the sand hole and 
crowned the Pitcher, for he knew that this would 
vex the others, and thought he, 4 If I crown her to- 
day, she will crown me to-morrow.’ 

44 4 Now I will dance,’ said the Fire Tongs, and 
accordingly she did dance ; and oh ! it was wonder- 
ful to see how high she threw one of her legs up into the 
air ; the old Chair Cover in the corner tore with hor- 
ror at seeing her. 4 Am I not to be crowned too ? ’ 
asked the Tongs, and she was crowned forthwith. 

44 4 These are the vulgar rabble ! ’ thought the 
Matches. 


378 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


“ The Tea Urn was now called upon to sing, but 
she had a cold, she said, she could only sing when 
she was boiling ; however, this was all her pride and 
affectation, the fact was she never cared to sing 
except when she was standing on the parlour table 
before company. 

“ On the window ledge lay an old Quill Pen with 
which the maids used to write ; there was nothing 
remarkable about her, except that she had been 
dipped too low in the ink ; however she was proud of 
that. 4 If the Tea Urn does not care to sing,’ quoth 
she, ‘ she may let it alone ; there is a Nightingale in the 
cage hung just outside, he can sing ; to be sure, he 
has never learned the notes, — never mind, we will 
not speak evil of any one this evening ! ’ 

“ 4 1 think it highly indecorous,’ observed the Tea 
Kettle, who was the vocalist of the kitchen, and a half- 
brother of the Tea Urn’s, 4 that a foreign bird should 
be listened to. Is it patriotic? I appeal to the Turf 
Basket.’ 

“ 4 1 am only vexed, ’ r said the Turf Basket ; 4 1 
am vexed from my inmost soul that such things 
are thought of at all. Is it a becoming way of 
spending the evening? Would it not be much 
more rational to reform the whole house, and estab- 
lish a totally new order of things, rather more 
according to nature ? Then every one would get 


THE FLYING TRUNK 


379 * 

into his right place, and I would undertake to direct 
the revolution. What say you to it ? That would 
be something worth the doing ! ’ 

44 4 Oh, yes, we will make a grand commotion ! ’ 
cried they all. Just then the door opened — it was 
the servant-maid. They all stood perfectly still, not 
one dared stir, yet there was not a single kitchen 
utensil among them all but was thinking about the 
wonderful things he could have done, and how great 
was his superiority over the others. 4 Ah, if I had 
chosen it,’ thought each of them, 4 what a merry even- 
ing we might have had ! ’ 

44 The maid took the Matches and struck a light — 
oh, how they sputtered and blazed up ! 

44 4 Now every one may see,’ thought they, 4 that we 
are of highest rank ; what a splendid, dazzling light 
we give, how glorious!’ — and in another moment 
they were burnt out.” 

44 That is a capital story,” said the Queen ! 44 1 
quite felt myself transported into the kitchen ; — 
yes, thou shalt have our daughter ! ” 

44 With all my heart,” said the King; 44 on Mon- 
day thou shalt marry our daughter.” They said 
44 thou ” to him now, since he was so soon to become 
one of the family. The wedding was a settled thing; 
and on the evening preceding the whole city was 
illuminated ; cakes, buns, and sugar plums were 


* 380 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


thrown out among the people ; all the little boys in 
the streets stood upon tip-toes, shouting, “ Hurrah ! ” 
and whistling through their fingers — it was famous! 

“Well, I suppose I ought to do my part too,” 
thought the merchant’s son ; so he went and bought 
sky rockets, squibs, Catherine wheels, Roman candles, 
and all kinds of fireworks conceivable ; put them all 
into his trunk, and flew up into the air, letting them 
off as he flew. 

Hurrah ! what a glorious sky rocket was that ? 

All the Turks jumped up to look, so hastily that 
their slippers flew about their ears, such a meteor 
they had never seen before. Now they might be 
sure that it was indeed the Prophet who was to marry 
their Princess. 

As soon as the merchant’s son had returned in his 
trunk to the wood, he said to himself, “ I will now 
go into the city and hear what people say about me, 
and what sort of figure I made in the air.” And, 
certainly, this was a very natural idea. 

Oh, what strange accounts were given ! Every 
one whom he accosted had beheld the bright vision 
in a way peculiar to himself, but all agreed that it 
was marvellously beautiful. 

“I saw the great Prophet with my own eyes,” de- 
clared one ; “ lie had eyes like sparkling stars, and a 
beard like foaming water.” 


THE FLYING TRUNK 


381 


“ He flew enveloped in a mantle of Are,” said an- 
other ; “ the prettiest little cherubs were peeping 
forth from under its folds.” 

Yes; he heard of many beautiful things, and the 
morrow was to be his wedding day. 

He now went back to the wood, intending to get 
into his trunk again, but where was it ? 

Alas ! the trunk was burnt. One spark from th'e 
fireworks had been left in it, and set it on fire ; the 
trunk now lay in ashes. The poor merchant’s son 
could never fly again, could never again visit his 
bride. 

She sat the livelong day upon the roof of her 
palace, expecting him ; she expects him still ; he, 
meantime, goes about the world telling stories, but 
none of his stories are so pleasant as that one which 
he related in the Princess’s palace about the Brim- 
stone Matches. 


THE BELL 


Every evening, when the sun disappeared and the 
clouds glistened like gold among the high chimneys 
of the town, there was heard, sometimes by one, 
sometimes by another, a strange deep sound like the 
pealing of a church bell. Only for a moment could 
it be heard, for there was such an incessant rumbling 
of carts and carriages, such a bustle of coming and 
going, such a noise of singing and shouting, as well- 
nigh bewildered people, and at times quite drowned 
the distant chime. “Hark ! there is the evening 
bell,” they used to say ; “ the sun is just setting.” 

If you went beyond the town into the suburbs, 
where the houses stood farther apart, with gardens 
and meadows lying between them, you would behold 
the evening sky arrayed in colours still more bright 
and beautiful, and the tones of the unknown Bell 
might be heard ringing far more loudly and sweetly. 
It seemed as though the sound must proceed from 
some church deep within the still, fragrant forest in 
the distance, and you could not help casting a glance 
thitherwards, and feeling impressed with pious awe. 

" 382 


THE BELL 


383 


Time passed on, the Bell still pealed regularly as 
ever ; at last people said, “ Can there be a church in 
the forest ? The tones of the Bell are indeed strange, 
and beautiful exceedingly ; why should not we go 
and search into this mystery ? ” And, accordingly, 
the rich drove thither in their carriages, and the poor 
walked on foot, but they found the distance longer 
than they had expected, and when they reached the 
willow grove that skirted the forest, they were 
tempted to sit down and rest in the shade, and then 
they would look up into the branches overhead and 
fancy themselves already in the forest. And soon 
the chief confectioner in the town came out and 
spread his tent there, and this excited a rival con- 
fectioner to do the like, and he must needs hang up 
a bell right over his tent. This bell was covered 
with tar to preserve it from the rain, but it had no 
clapper. So when the people returned home, they 
declared that they had enjoyed themselves extremely, 
and that it was quite a romantic excursion, quite a 
gipsy party. 

There were three persons who boasted of having 
penetrated right through as far as the other side of 
the forest, and they asserted that there also they had 
heard the singular tones of the supposed Bell ; but 
that the sound then seemed to proceed from the 
town. And one man wrote a long poem about the 


384 ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 

Bell, wherein he likened it to the voice of a mother 
speaking to a beloved and loving child, and declared 
that no melody might compare in depth and sweet- 
ness with that thrilling, unearthly chime. 

The poem aroused the attention of the Emperor of 
that country, and he promised that whoever should 
discover the cause of this mysterious sound, should 
bear the title of “Universal Bell Ringer,” even though 
it should turn out that there was no bell at all. 

So in hopes of obtaining this distinction, several 
persons went rambling all over the forest, but only 
one returned with any pretence to an explanation. 
Not that he had penetrated much deeper than the 
others ; however, he asserted that the bell-like tones 
came from a very large owl in a hollow tree — it was 
the Owl of Wisdom, he said, and she was incessantly 
striking her head against the tree ; but whether the 
sound proceeded from her head or from the hollow 
trunk, he owned frankly he could not decide. 
Nevertheless, he was appointed “ Universal Bell 
Ringer,” and published every year a short treatise 
“ On the Owl of Wisdom.” For all this, people 
were just about as wise as they were before. 

It was a confirmation day ; the bishop had ad- 
dressed the children so kindly and earnestly, bidding 
them remember that this day was for them a most 
important day, that the blessing of God had been 


THE BELL 


385 


invoked upon their heads, they had all at once ceased 
to be children, and become full-grown men and 
women ; that their childish minds, therefore, must 
now unfold into the maturity of reason. The glori- 
ous sunlight shone around them, as the newly 
confirmed walked all together out of the town, when 
suddenly the marvellous, incomprehensible Bell was 
heard pealing loudly from the distant forest. Imme- 
diately the young Christians were seized with a long- 
ing to go and search into the cause of the sound. 
All agreed to set out forthwith in search of the 
mystery, except three ; one of these wanted to go 
home and try on her ball dress — and, indeed, had it 
not been for the ball, she would not have cared about 
being confirmed that year ; another was a poor boy 
who had borrowed his confirmation coat and boots 
from the innkeeper’s son, and had promised to return 
them within a fixed time; and as for the third, he 
declared that he never went to any strange place 
without his parents ; he had always been a good 
child, and intended to be so still, although he was 
confirmed, and they ought not to laugh at him for it ! 
Laugh, however, they did, and that right heartily. 

So three went back to the town, whilst the rest 
sped merrily on their way. The sun shone, the birds 
sang, and the newly confirmed sang with them, all 
holding each other by the hands. They had none of 
2 c 


386 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


them yet entered upon the business of life ; they 
were like brothers and sisters — all equal — all chil- 
dren of the good God above them. 

But very soon two of the youngest became weary, 
and turned back, and two little girls sat down by the 
wayside to weave garlands. They stayed so long that 
it seemed of no use trying to overtake the rest. And 
when the party reached the willow grove, where 
stood the confectioner’s tent, they said to each other, 
“ See, here we are at last ! After all, there is really 
no such thing as the Bell, — it is only a fancy of 
ours.” 

However, in that same moment the Bell was heard 
to peal from out the forest depths, in tones so sweet 
and solemn, that four or five determined to seek it 
farther. 

The trees grew close together, many-branched and 
thickly-leaved. It was no easy task to make a path 
through, — anemones and the sweet-scented wood 
roof grew almost too high ; honeysuckles and wild 
convolvuluses hung in long wreaths from tree to 
tree ; the nightingales sang, and the joyous sunbeams 
peeped in here and there through the boughs. Oh, 
the forest was most beautiful, though certainly it 
was no place for girls, — they would have torn their 
frocks among the brambles ! Several large blocks of 
stone, covered with lichens of every colour, formed 


THE BELL 


387 


a basin, whence shot up a fountain of fresh spring 
water ; merrily gushed it forth, with a strange, 
gurgling noise, like “ Cluck, cluck ! ” 

“ And what if this should be the Bell ? ” suggested 
one of the young adventurers ; and he crouched 
down on the ground to listen. “ I must examine 
into this thoroughly.” So there he stayed examin- 
ing, and let the others go on without him. 

They came to a cottage built with bark and 
boughs, — a large tree, bearing wild crab apples, 
leaned over it, as though to shower down its rich 
blessing over the roof. A rose-bush was trained up 
the front wall, its green leaves and bright-red flowers 
clustering thickly round the gable end, and just un- 
der this gable end hung a little bell. Could this be 
the Bell they sought ? Yes, all agreed that it was, 
excepting one, who said it was far too small, and its 
tones too low to have been heard at such a distance, 
and that the chimes which had stirred the hearts of 
all men so powerfully were indeed very different. 
He who spoke thus was a King’s son ; so the others 
said, “ This is always the way ; these grand folks 
must needs be wiser than all the rest of the world 
put together.” 

So they suffered him to pursue his way alone ; and 
as he wandered on he felt his spirit more and more 
impressed with the silent beauty of the forest. He 


388 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


could still hear the ringing of the little bell, the sight 
of which had so delighted his comrades, and at times, 
too, the wind bore over to him the tones of the con- 
fectioner’s bell, as it rang the holiday makers to tea ; 
but the deep, solemn strokes that had called him 
forth from the town sounded above them all, grow- i 
ing louder and louder, and more and more like the 
music of an organ. And he fancied this singular 
music proceeded from some place to his left — from 
the side where the heart beats. 

Suddenly there was a rustling among the bushes ; ] 
the King’s son turned round, and saw beside him 
a little boy, wearing wooden shoes, and a jacket with 
sleeves so short as to leave his wrists quite bare. 
The King’s son recognised him immediately, — it 
was the boy who could not come with the rest in 
search of the Bell, because he must first restore his 
borrowed confirmation clothes. This he had done, 
and had then followed alone in his own wooden shoes 
and miserable patched garments ; for the Bell rang 
with a melody so clear and deep, that he felt he must 
come and seek it. 

“Well, then, we can go on together,” said the 
King’s son. But the poor youth in the wooden shoes 
was very bashful ; he tugged at his short jacket 
sleeves, and said he feared he could not walk so 
quickly; besides, he thought that the Bell must be 


THE BELL 


389 


sought toward the right, because the right-hand side 
was always the place of honour. 

“ Certainly, then, we shall not agree at all,” re- 
plied the King’s son ; and he nodded a friendly fare- 
well to the poor boy, who went on into the deepest, 
thickest recesses of the wood, where the thorns tore 
his clothes to pieces, and made his face, hands, and 
feet bleed terribly. The King’s son, on his part, 
did not escape without a few sharp scratches ; but 
the sun shone full on his path, and he it is whom we 
shall follow. A royal heart, indeed, had this King’s 
son. 

“ The Bell I must and will find,” said he, “ even 
should I go to the end of the world after it ! ” 

Hideous, grinning monkeys sat chattering and 
grinding their teeth among the branches. “ Shall 
we cudgel him ? ” cried they, “ shall we thrash him ? 
He is a King’s son ! ” 

But, nothing daunted, on he passed, deeper and 
deeper, into the forest shades, where grew the loveli- 
est and strangest flowers. Large white lilies with 
blood-red stamens, and sky-blue tulips waving to and 
fro in the wind, sprang up at his feet, and apple trees 
extended to him their tempting fruit, shining like 
great glistening soap bubbles in the dazzling sun- 
beams. Here and there were seen clear spots of the 
freshest greensward, where hart and hind sported 


390 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


together under the shade of magnificent oaks and 
beeches ; and if the trunks of some of these were " 
riven asunder, grass and long creepers covered the | 
cleft. Calm, glassy lakes, too, he saw, white swans • 
swimming upon their bosom, and continually flap- 
ping their long, snowy wings. The King’s son often 
stood still to look and listen, often he fancied that 
the bell-like tones must issue from the depths of one 
of these unruffled lakes. However, he was soon con- 
vinced of his mistake ; he still heard the pealing of i 
the Bell, but still, as ever, it came from some distant 
region of the forest. 

At last the sun set, the firmament glowed as if on 
fire, the forest seemed more silent, more sacred than 
ever ; he sank upon his knees, sang his evening hymn,, j 
and when it was ended, said to himself, “Never shall 
I find that which I seek ! The sun is setting; night, 
dark night, is coming on. I would fain see the 
round, red sun once more, before it sinks beneath 
the earth ; I will climb up yonder group of rocks ; 
the centre peak is as high as the tallest tree in the 
forest.” 

And, seizing hold of roots and shrubs, he clambered 
over the moist stones, where water snakes lay writh- 
ing their long, smooth coils, and toads sat croaking 
at him. Up he clambered, and gained the peak just 
before the sun, as seen from that height, had quite 


THE BELL 


391 


disappeared. Oh, what a scene now burst upon his 
eyes ! The sea, the great, glorious sea, was spread 
before him, dashing its foaming billows on the coast; 
and the half-set sun shone like a rich golden altar in 
the place where sea and sky met, melting into each 
other, into the same glowing hues. The forest sang, 
the sea sang, and his heart sang with them ; all nature 
seemed one vast and holy church, wherein the trees, 
crowned by light, hovering clouds, formed the arched 
pillars, flowers and grass being woven into a soft 
velvet carpet at his feet, while heaven itself hung like 
a spacious dome overhead. And as he gazed, the 
bright red hues faded rapidly away, the sun had 
quite vanished, but, one by one, millions of stars 
burst out, just as though millions of diamond lamps 
had been suddenly kindled. The King’s son raised 
his arms in grateful rapture towards sky, sea, and 
forest — and just at that moment the poor youth, in 
wooden shoes and short jacket, came forward from 
the right-hand side ; following his own path, he had 
in the end been brought to the same spot. They ran 
to meet each other, and stood together, hand in hand, 
in the vast Church of Nature and Poetry, whilst 
above them pealed the holy, invisible Bell, and blessed 
Spirits hovered round, singing in chorus their own 
triumphant Hallelujah ! 


THE FLAX 


The flax was in full bloom. Its pretty blue 
blossoms were as soft as the wings of a moth, and 
still more dedicate. And the sun shone on the flax 
field, and the rain watered it ; and that was as good 
for the flax flowers as it is for little children to be 
washed and kissed by their mother, — they look so 
much fresher and prettier afterwards. Thus it was 
with the Flax flowers. 

“ People say I am so fine and flourishing,” observed 
the Flax ; “ and that I am growing so charmingly 
tall, a splendid piece of linen will be got from me. 
Oh, how happy I am ! how can any one be happier ? 
Everything around me is so pleasant, and I shall be of 
use for something or other. How the sun cheers one 
up, and how fresh and sweet the rain tastes ! I am 
incomparably happy ; I am the happiest vegetable in 
the world ! ” 

“ Ah, ah, ah ! ” jeered the Stakes in the hedge ; 
“ you don’t know the world, not you, but we know 
it, there are knots in us ! ” and then they cracked so 
dolefully: — 


392 


THE FLAX 


393 


“ Snip, snap, snurre, 

Bassilurre, 

And so the song is en-ded-ded-ded.” 

“No, it is not ended,” replied the Flax ; “the sun 
shines every morning, the rain does me so much 
good, I can see myself grow ; I can feel that I am in 
blossom — who so happy as I ? ” 

However, one day people came, took hold of the 
Flax, and pulled it up, root and all ; that was ex- 
ceedingly uncomfortable ; and then it was thrown 
into water, as though intended to be drowned, and, 
after that, put before the fire, as though to be roasted. 
This was most cruel ! 

“ One cannot always have what one wishes ! ” 
sighed the Flax ; “it is well to suffer sometimes, 
it gives one experience.” 

But matters seemed to get worse and worse. The 
Flax was bruised and broken, hacked and hackled, 
and at last put on the wheel — snurre rur ! snurre 
rur ! — it was not possible to keep one’s thoughts 
collected in such a situation as this. 

“ I have been exceedingly fortunate,” thought the 
Flax, amid all these tortures. “ One ought to be 
thankful for the happiness one has enjoyed in times 
past. Thankful, thankful, oh, yes ! ” and still the 
Flax said the same when taken to the loom. And 
here it was made into a large, handsome piece of 


394 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


linen ; all the Flax of that one field was made into a 
single piece. 

“ Well, but this is charming ! Never should I 
have expected it. What unexampled good fortune 
I have carried through the world with me ! What 
arrant nonsense the Stakes in the hedge used to talk 
with their 

“ ‘ Snip, snap, snurre, 

Bassilurre.’ 

The song is not ended at all ! Life is but just 
beginning. It is a very pleasant thing, too, is life ; 
to be sure I have suffered, but that is past now, and 
I have become something through suffering. I am 
so strong, and yet so soft ! so white and so long ! 
this is far better than being a vegetable ; even 
during blossom-time nobody attends to one, and one 
only gets water when it is raining. Now, I am well 
taken care of — the girl turns me over every morn- 
ing, and I have a shower-bath from the water-tub ' 
every evening ; nay, the parson’s wife herself came 
and looked at me, and said I was the finest piece of 
linen in the parish. No one can possibly be happier 
than I am ! ” 

The Linen was taken into the house, and cut up 
with scissors. Oh, how it was cut and clipped, how 
it was pierced and stuck through with needles ! 
that was certainly no pleasure at all. It was at last 


THE FLAX 


395 


made up into twelve articles of attire, such articles 
as are not often mentioned, but which people can 
hardly do without ; there were just twelve of them. 

44 So this, then, was my destiny. Well, it is very 
delightful ; now I shall be of use in the world, and 
there is really no pleasure like that of being useful. 
We are now twelve pieces, but we are still one and 
the same — we are a dozen ! Certainly, this is being 
extremely fortunate ! ” 

Years passed away, — at last the Linen could 
endure no longer. 

44 All things must pass away some time or other,” 
remarked each piece. “ I should like very much to 
last a little while longer, but one ought not to wish 
for impossibilities.” And so the Linen was rent into 
shreds and remnants numberless ; they believed all 
was over with them, for they were hacked, and 
mashed, and boiled, and they knew not what else — 
and thus they became beautiful, fine, white paper ! 

44 Now, upon my word, this is a surprise ! And a 
most delightful surprise too ! ” declared the Paper. 
44 Why, now I am finer than ever, and I shall be 
written upon ! I wonder what will be written upon 
me. Was there ever such famous good fortune as 
mine ! ” And the Paper was written upon ; the 
most charming stories in the world were written on 
it, and they were read aloud ! and people declared 


396 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


that these stories were very beautiful and very 
instructive ; that to read them would make mankind 
both wiser and better. Truly, a great blessing was 
given to the world in the words written upon that 
same Paper. 

“ Certainly, this is more than I could ever have 
dreamt of, when I was a wee little blue flower of the 
field ! How could I then have looked forward to 
becoming a messenger destined to bring knowledge 
and pleasure among men ? 1 can hardly understand 

it even now. Yet, so it is, actually. And, for my 
own part, I have never done anything, beyond the 
little that in me lay, to strive to exist, and yet I am 
carried on from one state of honour and happiness to 
another ; and every time that I think within myself, 
‘Now, surely, the song is en-ded-ded-ded,’ I am con- 
verted into something new, something far higher and 
better. Now, 1 suppose I shall be sent on my travels, 
shall be sent round the wide world, so that all men 
may read me. I should think that would be the 
wisest plan. Formerly I had blue blossoms, now for 
every single blossom I have some beautiful thought, 
or pleasant fancy — who so happy as I ? ” 

But the Paper was not sent on its travels, it went 
to the printer’s instead, and there all that was writ- 
ten upon it was printed in a book ; nay, in many 
hundred books : and in this way an infinitely greater 


THE FLAX 


397 


number of people received pleasure and profit there- 
from than if the written Paper itself had been sent 
round the world, and perhaps got torn and worn to 
pieces before it had gone halfway. 

“ Yes, to be sure, this is much more sensible,” 
thought the Paper. 44 It never occurred to me, 
though. I am to stay at home and be held in as great 
honour as if I were an old grandfather. The book 
was written on me first, the ink flowed in upon me 
from the pen and formed the words. I shall stay at 
home, while the books go about the world, to and 
fro — that is much better. How glad I am ! how 
fortunate I am ! ” 

So the Paper was rolled up and laid on one side. 
44 It is good to repose after labour,” said the Paper. 
44 It is quite right to collect oneself, and quietly think 
over all that dwelleth within one. Now, first, do I 
rightly know myself. And to know oneself, I have 
heard, is the best knowledge, the truest progress. 
And come what will, this I am sure of, all will end 
in progress — always is there progress ! ” 

One day the roll of Paper was thrown upon the 
stove to be burnt — it must not be sold to the grocer 
to wrap round pounds of butter and sugar. And all 
the children in the house flocked round ; they 
wanted to see the blaze, they wanted to count the 
multitude of tiny red sparks which seem to dart to 


398 ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 

and fro among the ashes, dying out, one after 
another, so quickly — they call them “ the children 
going out of school,” and the last spark of all is the 
schoolmaster ; they often fancy he is gone out, but ■ 
another and another spark flies up unexpectedly, and 
the schoolmaster always tarries a little behind the 
rest. 

And now all the Paper lay heaped up on the stove. 

“ Ugh ! ” it cried, and all at once it burst into a 
flame. So high did it rise into the air, never had ] 
the Flax been able to rear its tiny blue blossoms so 1 
high, and it shone as never the white Linen had 
shone ; all the letters written on it became fiery red ] 
in an instant, and all the words and thoughts of the 
writer were surrounded with a glory. 

“ Now, then, I go straight up into the sun ! ” said 
something within the flames. It was as though a 
thousand voices at once had spoken thus ; and the j 
Flame burst through the chimney, and rose high 
above it ; and brighter than the Flame, yet invisible 
to mortal eyes, hovered little tiny beings, as many as 
there had been blossoms on the Flax. They were ' 
lighter and of more subtle essence than even the 
Flame that bore them ; and when that Flame had 
quite died away, and nothing remained of the Paper j 
but the black ashes, they once again danced over 
them, and wherever their feet touched the ashes, their 


THE FLAX 


399 


footprints, the fiery red sparks, were seen. Thus 
“the children went out of school, and the school- 
master came last ; ” it was a pleasure to see the 
pretty sight, and the children of the house stood 
looking at the black ashes and singing — 

“ Snip, snap, snurre, 

Bassilurre, 

And now the song is en-ded-ded-ded.” 

But the tiny invisible beings replied every one, 
“ The song is never ended ; that is the best of it ! 
We know that, and therefore none are so happy as 
we are ! ” 

However, the children could neither hear nor un- 
derstand the reply ; nor would it be well that they 
should, for children must not know everything. 


THE HAPPY FAMILY 


The largest green leaves that you can find in the 
country are the burdock leaves ; if a little girl take ;* 
one of them and hold it in front of the skirt of her | 
frock, it serves her as an apron ; and if she place it 
on her head, it is almost as good a shelter against the 
rain as an umbrella — so very, very large are these \ 
leaves. Never is one burdock leaf found growing 
alone, wherever one grows, a whole colony of them 
grow also ; they are sociable leaves, and beautiful, 
too, but all their beauty is food for the snails. Those J 
large white Snails, of which the grand folks used, in 
olden time, to make fricassees, dine off the burdock 
leaves ; and greedily they eat of them, saying all the 1 
while, “ Hum, how nice ! how exquisite ! ” for they ; 
think the food quite delicious ; they live upon bur- 
dock leaves, and for their sakes, they imagine, the 
burdock leaves have been sown. 

Now there was an old-fashioned manor house ; •: 
snails were no longer cooked and eaten there, for not 
only had the custom died away, but the last owners 
of the house had also died, and no one lived in it at 
all. But burdock leaves grew near this house, and 
400 


THE HAPPY FAMILY 


401 


they had not died away ; they still grew, and thrived, 
and multiplied; and as there was no one to weed 
them up, they spread over all the paths and all the 
beds, till the garden at last became a perfect wilder- 
ness of burdock leaves. Here and there, indeed, 
might still be seen a solitary apple or plum tree, 
otherwise no one could possibly have guessed that 
this place had ever been a garden ; on all sides you 
saw burdock leaves, nothing but burdock leaves. 
And among them dwelt two old Snails, the last of 
their race. 

Even they themselves could not tell how old they 
were ; but they could remember perfectly that their 
family had once been very numerous ; that they be- 
longed to a colony from a foreign land ; and that for 
them and theirs the whole grove had been planted. 
Beyond the burdock grove they had never been, but 
they knew that there was another place in the world 
called the Manor house, and that there snails were 
cooked, and then became black, and were laid upon 
silver dishes ; but what happened afterwards they 
could not divine. Nor could they at all imagine 
how they would feel when cooked and laid on silver 
dishes ; but that it was very delightful, and a very 
great honour and distinction — of that they were 
certain. Neither the Cockchafer, the Toad, or the 
Earthworm, all of whom they had questioned on the 


402 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


subject, could give them any correct information, for 
not one of these had ever been cooked or laid in a 
silver dish. 

No creatures in the world were held in such high 
honour as these old white Snails ; they were quite j 
sure of that : the burdock wood had grown up solely I 
on their account, and the Manor house stood beyond | 
merely that they might some day be taken there, i 
cooked, and laid in silver dishes. 

They now lived a very lonely, and yet a very 
happy life, and as they had no children of their own, j 
they had taken a liking to a little common Snail, and j 
brought it up as their own child. Unfortunately, j 
this little Snail, being of a different species, could I 
not grow larger, so as to become like its foster- < 
parents ; however, old Mother Snail insisted that she 
could perceive he was growing fast ; and she begged 
Father Snail, since he could not see it as she did, to j 
touch the little Snail’s house and feel it. And old 
Father Snail felt the house, and acknowledged that 
the mother was in the right. 

One day there came a heavy shower of rain. 

“ Only listen, what a drum -drum-drumming there is 
on the burdock leaves ! ” remarked Father Snail. 

“It is the drops that make that drumming,” 
rejoined Mother Snail. “ Look, now they are run- 
ning straight down the stalk ; you will see it quite wet j 


THE HAPPY FAMILY 


403 


presently. I am glad we have our own good house ; 
and the little one too, he is safe in his. Certainly, 
it cannot be denied, that more is done for us than 
for all other creatures put together ; it is easily seen 
that we are of the first importance in the world. 
We have houses provided for us from our birth, and 
the burdock wood is planted for our sakes ! I should 
rather like to know, though, how far it extends, and 
what is beyond it.” 

“ There is nothing beyond it ! ” quoth Father 
Snail. “ And if there were any other places, what 
would it signify ? No place can be better than this ; 
we have nothing to wish for.” 

“ I cannot say that, for my part,” replied Mother 
Snail. “ I own I should like to go up to the Manor 
house, and there be cooked and laid in a silver dish. 
All our forefathers went there, and only think what 
an honour it must be ! ” 

“ Most probably the Manor house has fallen to 
pieces,” said Father Snail, u or else the burdock 
grove has grown over it, so that the human beings 
cannot now get out to fetch us. However, there is 
no need to be in such haste, but you are always in 
such a violent hurry about everything ; and the 
little one, too, he begins to take after you. Why, he 
has crept all up the stalk in less than three days ; it 
makes my head turn quite dizzy to look at him ! ” 


404 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


“ Don’t scold him,” said Mother Snail, “ he crawls 
so cleverly ! we shall have great pride and pleasure 
in him, and what else have we old folks got to live 
for ? But there is one thing we ought to think of 
now ; how are we to get him a wife ? Don’t you 
think that far out in the burdock grove there may, 
perhaps, be a few more of our family left?” 

“ Black Snails, no doubt, there are in plenty,” 
replied the other ; “ Black Snails without houses ; 
but they are so low, so vulgar ! I’ll tell you what 
we can do ; we can commission' the Ants to look 
about for us, they are always running backwards 
and forwards, as if all the business in the world had 
to be done by them ; they must certainly be able to 
find a wife for our little Snail.” 

“To be sure, we know where is the loveliest little 
creature imaginable ! ” exclaimed five or six Ants, 
who were passing by just then. “ But, perhaps, she 
may not choose to listen to the proposal, for she is a 
Queen.” 

“ What does that matter ? ” returned the two old 
Snails. “ Has she a house ? that is much more to 
the purpose ! ” 

“ A house ! ” repeated the Ants ; “ she has a pal- 
ace ! the most magnificent ant palace, with seven 
hundred passages ! ” 

“ Oh, thank you ! ” said Mother Snail ; “ if you 


THE HAPPY FAMILY 


405 


fancy our son is going to live in an ant-hill, you are 
very much mistaken, that’s all. If you have no 
better proposal to make than that, we can give the 
commission to the white Gnats ; they flutter about 
in rain and in sunshine ; they know every corner of 
the burdock grove quite intimately.” 

“ Ah, yes, we know the wife for him ! ” declared 
the Gnats, on being appealed to. u A hundred 
human paces off there sits, on a gooseberry bush, a 
little Snail with a house ; she lives so solitary, poor 
thing ! like a liermitess, and she is quite old enough 
to marry. It is only the distance of a hundred 
human paces.” 

“Well, then, let her come to him,” said the old 
Snails ; “ that will be most fitting ; he has a bur- 
dock grove, she has only a gooseberry bush.” 

And so the Gnats fluttered away to make the offer 
to little Miss Snail. Eight days passed before she 
made her appearance ; so much the better, that 
showed she came of the right breed. 

And now the bridal solemnities were held. Six 
Glow-worms shone as brightly as they could ; other- 
wise, the whole affair passed off very quietly, for 
neither of the two old Snails could endure merriment 
and rioting. Indeed, Father Snail was too much 
moved to be able to say a word ; but Mother Snail 
made a most beautiful and affecting speech, giving 


406 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


to the two young people the whole burdock grove 
for their inheritance, and declaring, as she always had 
declared, that it was the best, if not the only place 
in the world. Moreover, she promised that if they 
lived together peaceably and honestly, and multiplied 
in the grove, they and their children should at last 
be taken to the Manor house, there to be cooked till 
they were black, and then be laid on silver dishes. 

And after this speech was ended, the two old 
Snails crept back into their houses, and never came ; 
out again ; there they slept. And the young Snails 1 
reigned in the burdock wood in their stead, and had 
a numerous posterity. But they never had the good 
fortune to be cooked, or to be put in silver dishes ; . 
and so they decided that the Manor house must have 
fallen to pieces, and that all the human beings in the i 
world must be dead. No one ever contradicted them 
in this opinion, and therefore it must needs be true, ] 
And for their sakes the rain drops beat upon the ] 
burdock leaves, and made drum music, and for their 
sakes the sun shone on the burdock leaves, giving 
them a bright green colour ; and they were very 
happy, and the whole Snail family were very happy. 


THE HISTORY OF THE YEAR 


It was last January; there was a terrible snow 
storm, the snow drifted like a whirlwind through 
lane and street, encrusted the window-panes, and lay 
heaped up on the roofs. The people who chanced 
to be out of doors sped along as though some one 
were in chase of them, ran up against each other, fell 
into each other's arms, and then kept fast hold for 
a moment, fearing to lose their footing if they let go 
again. Horses and carriages were all well powdered, 
footmen stood with their backs to the carriages to 
escape the wind beating against their faces, foot pas- 
sengers kept steadily in the lee of the vehicles, which 
rolled slowly on through the deep snow ; and when 
at last the storm was laid and a narrow path had 
been swept in front of the houses, the folks came to 
a dead stop whenever they met, neither party liking 
to step aside into the snow to give room for the other 
to pass. Silently they would stand, facing each 
other, till at last, tacitly arriving at a mutual com- 
promise, either would sacrifice one foot, setting it 
into the snow drift. 


407 


408 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


Towards evening came a lull ; the heavens looked 
as if they had been swept, and seemed higher and 
more transparent ; the stars might have been taken 
to be spick and span new, they were so dazzlingly 
bright, and some few glistened with such a soft blue 
light. The air was very keen, so much so, that the ] 
uppermost layer of snow was frozen quite hard, j 
And now, in the early morning hour, came forth the \ 
little grey sparrows ; they hopped up and down 
wherever the snow had been shovelled away, but ^ 
there was not much to be found to eat, and the poor j 
things were half starved, as well as half frozen. 

“Twit!” said one, “this is what folks call the j 
New Year ! Why, it is worse than the Old ! I am j 
very discontented, and no wonder. We might just J 
as well have kept the Old Year ! ” 

“Yes, and all the world has been running about, 
making such a fuss with proclaiming the New Year,” I 
said a stiff, frost-bitten little Sparrow. “ They were \ 
quite wild with joy because the Old Year was gone 
and done with ; and I was glad, too, for I expected | 
we should now get some warm days, but it has turned 
out a regular take-in — it freezes worse than ever. 
Men must have made a mistake in their reckoning.” 

“That’s just it' — so they have,” rejoined a third, j 
an old Sparrow, hoary-white on the crest. “ They 
have something which they call an almanack — it is 


THE HISTORY OF THE YEAR 


409 


all their own invention — and they want to make 
everything go on as that goes on ; but they can’t do 
it, after all. When Spring comes, that is the real 
beginning of the year ; that is the course of nature, 
and that is my way of reckoning.” 

“ But when will Spring come ? ” asked the others. 

“ Spring comes when the stork comes ; but he is 
very unpunctual, and here in the town there is no 
one who understands anything about the matter, — 
they know better in the country. Suppose we fly 
thither and wait ? We shall be nearer Spring there 
than here.” 

“ All very well for you,” remarked another Spar- 
row, who had kept on twittering for a long time 
without saying anything intelligible ; “ but, for my 
part, I have many conveniences here in the town 
which I fear I should miss in the country. In a 
house up yonder lives a human family, who, very 
sensibly, have contrived to set in the wall three or 
four flower pots, with the large opening turned in- 
‘side and the bottom outside,, and in the bottom a hole 
is cut large enough for me to fly in and out ; it is 
there that my mate and I have our nest, and thence 
have all our young ones taken their first flight. The 
human family have, of course, arranged all this that 
they may have the pleasure of looking at us, else why 
should they have done it ? And they strew crumbs 


410 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


of bread about, — all for their own amusement, — 
and that’s the way we get our living ; and thus we 
are provided for. So I believe I shall stay here, and 
my mate will stay here, although we are very dis- 
contented ; — yes, we shall stay here.” 

“And we will fly away into the country, to see if 
Spring is coming.” And so away they flew. 

In the country it was winter with a vengeance ; 
the frost was some degrees keener than in the town ; 
the cutting, icy wind blew pitilessly over the snow- 
covered fields. The peasant, sitting in his sledge, 
swathed in thick woollen wraps, let his whip lie in his 
lap, and beat himself with his arms to get something 
like life into them, while the snow crackled under 
the hoofs of his lean, steaming horses, and the half- 
frozen Sparrows hopped about in the tracks left by 
the sledge-wheels. “Twit! will Spring never be 
coming? We have been waiting so long!” 

“ So long ! ” The words were wafted far over the 
fields from the highest of the snowy banks. Perhaps 
it was Echo who repeated them, perhaps it was the 
strange old man who sat up there, exposed to wind 
and weather, on the highest snowdrift. He was 
perfectly white, like a peasant in his mantle of coarse 
white wool; he had long white hair, and a white 
beard, and large bright eyes glittered in his wan 
face. 


THE HISTORY OF THE YEAR 


411 


“ And who’s that old man up there, I wonder ? ” 
quoth the Sparrows. 

“ I know,” replied a grave old Raven, perched upon 
a paling hard by, who was condescending enough to 
acknowledge that we are all small birds in the sight 
of Him who made us, and therefore did not disdain 
to converse even with Sparrows, and enlighten their 
ignorance with his superior wisdom. “ I know who 
the old man is. He is Winter, the old man of last 
year, — he is not dead, as the almanack says ; no, he 
is a sort of Regent for the young Prince Spring, who 
is coming. Yes, Winter rules the roast, and will for 
some time to come. Ugh ! do ye comprehend it now, 
you little ones ? ” 

44 Yes, that is just what I say,” answered the least 
and youngest of the Sparrows. 44 The almanack is 
a mere human invention — it is not founded upon 
nature. They should have let us make it, — us 
Sparrows, whose organs are so much finer and more 
delicate than theirs.” 

One week passed, the second had nearly passed ; 
the wood was black, the frozen lake looked dark and 
heavy as lead, the clouds — nay, clouds they were 
not, they were damp, icy cold vapours — brooded in 
dull stillness over the landscape, flocks of great black 
crows flew by, but silently; not so much as a single 
44 Caw ! ” was heard. It seemed as though all Nature 


412 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


were sleeping. Suddenly a sunbeam glided over the 
lake, whereupon it smiled and shone like molten tin, 
and the snowy mantle on field and bank glittered 
with countless, unwonted sparkles. But the hoary 
white form, even Winter, still sat motionless, gazing 
steadily towards the South, seemingly unobservant 
that his carpet of snow was, as it were, sinking into 
the earth, and that here and there a tiny grass-green 
spot gleamed forth, all alive with busy, twittering 
Sparrows. 

“ Quivit ! Quivit ! Surely he has come at last, 
has Spring ! ” 

44 Spring ! ” the joyous sound re-echoed over field . 
and meadow, and through the dusky groves, where 
the bright moss clung, fresh and green, to trunk and 
stem. And now, from the sunny South, came flying 
through the air the two first storks, each bearing on 
its back a beautiful little child ; one was a boy, the 
other a girl. They kissed the earth on alighting, and 
wherever they set their feet, white flowers sprang 
forth from under the snow. Hand in hand they 
went up to the old ice man, Winter, lovingly nestling 
upon his breast, and, behold ! they all three vanished 
from sight, the landscape vanishing with them, a 
thick, wet mist enveloping the whole. Gradually 
the air lightened again, the wind rushed furiously 
past, driving the mist before him, the sun shone out 


THE HISTORY OF THE YEAR 


413 


so warmly ! Winter, old Winter, was gone, and 
Spring’s lovely children were seated on the throne of 
the Year. 

“Ah, this is what I call New Year’s Day ! ” de- 
clared the Sparrows. “Now we shall have our rights 
and liberties again, now we shall have compensation 
for the inclemency of that severe old Winter.” 

Wherever the two children turned, green buds 
shot forth from bush and tree, the grass grew higher, 
the young green corn darkened in hue. And the 
little maiden scattered flowers around her ; she had 
such abundance of them that, however zealously she 
might throw them away, still her lap was full. In 
her haste she shook a perfect shower of snow-white 
blossoms over apple and peach trees, so now they 
stood arrayed in glorious apparel, although as yet 
they had no leafy garment. And she clapped her 
hands, and the boy clapped his, and then the birds 
flew forth, they knew not why, and one and all twit- 
tered, and chirped, and sang, “ Spring is come ! ” 

It was a lovely sight to see ! Many an old, old 
dame tottered over the threshold of her door in the 
glad sunshine, looked at the golden blossoms that 
starred the meadow, just as in the days of her youth, 
and felt that the world had become young again. 
“ It is glorious to be out to-day ! ” quoth she 
then. 


414 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


And the wood was still half brown, half green, bud 
after bud slowly expanding, but the woodruff, so 
fresh and fragrant, was abroad already, violets 
clustered together in tufts, anemones, cowslips, and 
oxlips raised their heads, and every single blade of 
grass had a grace and glory of its own. A splendid 
enamelled carpet was the turf, and on it sate the two 
sweet children of Spring, holding fast each other’s 
hands, singing, smiling, and growing ever more and 
more. 

A soft rain fell from heaven upon them, but they 
marked it not, the gentle raindrops mingled with 
their own tears of joy. And bride and bridegroom 
kissed each other, and, behold ! the wood burst at 
that moment into fulness of life. When the sun 
rose next, all the woods were clothed in green. 

And hand in hand passed the bridal pair under the 
fragrant canopy of leafy bowers, where only the sun- 
beams and the shadows cast by the clouds gave 
variety to the changeless green. A virgin purity, a 
balmy perfume, dwelt in those delicate leaves ; clear, 
bright, and lively rippled the silver brooklet between 
reeds of velvet green, over a mosaic of sparkling 
pebbles. “ Beautiful for ever, never dying, never fail- 
ing ! ” — such seemed the song of Nature. And the 
cuckoo and the lark sang of Spring, joyous Spring; 
and yet all this time the willow- trees kept their 


THE HISTORY OF THE YEAR 


415 


blossoms veiled up in woolly sheatlis, so detestably 
cautious, so calculating, were they ! 

Days and weeks passed away, and now an intense 
sultriness seemed to have fallen from the sky upon 
the earth ; no waves of air breathed through the 
corn, which was now changing from green to golden. 
On the woodland lakes the lotus of the North, the 
white water-lily, spread out its large leaves flatly on 
the watery mirror, and the fishes sought shelter under 
their shade. And on the very hottest side of the 
wood, where the sun burned on the cottage wall and 
heated through and through the petals of the roses 
that had burst open to greet him, where the cherry- 
trees were laden with juicy, sun-ripened black berries, 
— there sate a beautiful woman, the same whom we 
saw as a merry child, as a happy bride. She was 
gazing on the slowly drifting clouds, mountain-like 
in form and colour ; heavy, dark blue clouds, from 
three sides they drifted, heaving themselves ever 
higher and higher over the arch of the sky, till at last, 
not unlike a sea of huge, turbulent waves spellbound 
and petrified, they closed over the wood, where every- 
thing was hushed into a charmed stillness. Not a 
breath of air stirred, not a leaf rustled, not a bird 
dared to raise his voice; all Nature seemed, as it were, 
waiting with awed expectation. Meantime roads and 
footpaths were quickly cleared, every passenger, by 


416 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


carriage, horse, or foot, hurrying under cover. All 
at once it lightened ; it was as though the sun had 
burst forth for one second, dazzling, blinding, scorch- 
ing ; darkness followed, and a deep, rolling crash ; 
water gushed down in torrents, night and light, 
calmed stillness and the roar of thunder, alternated 
in rapid succession. Grass and corn lay beaten to i 
the ground, as though they never could rise again. 
Suddenly the rain abated, falling only in single drops, I 
the sun shining, and blade and leaf glittering with : 
hundreds and thousands of diamonds; the birds sang, 
the fishes darted up to the surface of the water, the 
gnats danced, and yonder, on the stone washed by the 
current, sate Summer himself, in his prime of man- 
hood, with his vigorous limbs and dripping wet hair ; 
as though renewed by his fresh water bath, he sate 
basking in the warm sunshine. And, in very truth, 
all things were renewed, all creatures were joyful, 
healthful, and beautiful ; it was summer time, warm, 
luxuriant summer time. 

And sweet and reviving was the fragrance wafted 
from the clover-field, and the bees hovered and 
hummed over the spot where Danish kings, warriors, 
and sages had been wont to meet in olden time ; the 
bramble had now twined round the altar stone which, 
washed by the rain, shone brightly in the sunshine, 
and thither Hew the Queen Bee with her swarm, 


THE HISTORY OF THE YEAR 417 

stored her wax, and made sweet honey. None saw 
it save Summer and his wife ; they, strong and 
healthful, loved the noonday heat ; to them that old 
heathen altar, onee stained with human blood, stood 
now enriched with the pure, sinless offerings of 
Nature to her God. 

And the evening sky glowed like gold, no cathedral 
dome was ever half so rich and glorious, and the pale 
moon reigned in her beauty during the hours between 
evening-red and morning-red. It was summer time ! 

Days and weeks went by again. And now the 
keen scythes of the reapers gleamed in the corn- 
fields, the apple boughs lowered their red and yellow 
freightage, the hops sent out their pleasant perfume 
and hung down their large cups ; and under the 
hazel-bushes, heavy with nuts, sate Summer and his 
wife, looking grave and weary. 

“ What wealth J ” said she ; “ blessing and pros- 
perity on every side, everything home-like and pleas- 
ant, and } 7 et — I know not what is wanting to me — 
I yearn for rest, perfect rest — I cannot tell why. 
See, they are already ploughing the fields, more and 
more riches will these men be ever striving for ! — 
And oh, look at the storks, flying yonder in a stream, 
as though following the plough, the birds of Egypt, 
who bore us hither through the air ! rememberest 
thou not how we were brought together into this 

2 E 


418 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


Northern land, when children ? — Flowers we brought 
with us, warm sunshine, and green leaves — beauti- 
ful leaves, but the Wind has touched them with his 
rough hand; the trees are now turning brown and 
dark like the trees of the South, but they bear no 
golden fruits like theirs ! ” 

“ Is that what thou longest for ? ” asked Summer ; 

“ look up, then, and rejoice ! ” And he lifted his 
arm, and immediately the foliage was dyed in hues 
of crimson and gold, all the woods around standing 
arrayed in a costly festive garb. The rose hedge 
grew bright with blood-red hips, the elder boughs 
hung heavy with large brownish-black berries, the 
wild chestnuts dropped ripe from their dark-green 
calyces, and again, on the woodland banks, blossomed 
violets. 

Meantime, the Queen of the year grew yet more 
pale and languid. “ What a cold wind ! ” sighed 
she ; “ there are such wet mists at night — oh, I long 
for ray childhood’s home ! ” 

And she saw the storks fly away, every one ! and 
she stretched her hands after them. And she 
glanced at the empty nests : in one grew a long- 
stalked cornflower ; it looked just as if the nest was 
meant as a hedge to fence it round. The Sparrows 
hopped up and peeped in, “ Twit ! so master and ] 
mistress are off ! they can’t bear, not they, that the 


THE HISTORY OF THE YEAR 


419 


wind should blow upon their nobility, so they have 
taken themselves off. Good riddance ! ” 

Yellower and yellower grew the foliage, leaf after 
I leaf fell, boisterous storms went abroad ; it was late 
Autumn. And on a bed of yellow leaves lay the 
Queen of the year, her gentle ' eyes fixed on the glit- 
tering stars, and her husband stood beside her. A 
gust shook the trees, again the leaves fell, — behold ! 
she was gone, but a fair butterfly, the latest of the 
year, fluttered through the cold air. 

Now came damp mists, icy blasts, and dark, long 
nights. The hair of the Monarch of the year was 
hoary-white, but he noticed it not, or perhaps fancied 
it was so from the snowflakes that fell from the sky. 
And a thin shroud of snow already covered the green 
fields. 

And the church bells rang in the merry Christmas 
tide. 

“ Bells ringing, bells ringing ! ” said the Monarch 
of the year ; “ yes, they ring for a birth ! Soon will 
be born the new royal pair, and I shall have rest, 
like my beloved. Rest in yon glistening stars with 
her ! ” 

And in the ever fresh, ever green pine wood, 
stood amid the snow the Angel of Christmas, conse- 
crating the young trees that should be chosen to 
celebrate the holy, happy festival. 


420 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


“ Joy to you with your green boughs ! Go ye, and i 
bring joy with you into the warm dwellings of the 
children of men ! ” said the King of the year, whom 
a few weeks had worn into a snow-white bearded, 
weary old man. “ It is nearly time for me to rest ; 
the young sovereigns of the year will now take 
my crown and sceptre.” 

“But the rule is yet thine,” spake the Angel of 
Christmas, “ rule, and not rest ! See that the snow 
lies warm over the young seed. Learn to bear that 
homage and honour should be paid to another, whilst 
thou art still ruler, learn to be forgotten, and yet to 
live and work. Thine hour of release will come in 
good time, as soon as Spring comes.” 

“ When will Spring come ?” asked Winter. 

“Spring will come when the stork comes.” 

And so with thin locks and flowing beard, both 
alike hoary-white, bowed with age, but strong as the 
storm, strong as the ice, sate Winter on the high 
snow drift, gazing southwards, just as the Winter 
before him had sat and gazed. And the ice crackled, 
the snow crisped, the skaters fleeted over the smooth 
lakes, and crows and ravens were seen standing out 
in bold relief upon the white ground. Not a wind 
was stirring. Winter clasped his hands in the still 
air, and the ice grew fathoms deep between land and 
land. 


THE HISTORY OF THE YEAR 


421 


Then out came the Sparrows from the town, and 
asked again, “ Who is the old man up there ? ” And 
the Raven, or a son of his, which comes to the same, 
was ready at hand, and prompt to answer, “ It is 
Winter, the old man of last year. He is not dead, 
as the almanack says ; he is Regent for the young 
Prince Spring, who is coming.” 

“ When Spring comes,” said the Sparrows, “ we 
shall have good times, and a better government. The 
old is fit for nothing ! ” 

And in silent thought Winter bowed his head to- 
wards the black, leafless groves, where every tree 
displayed the delicate curves and archings of its 
boughs. Ice-cold vapours darkened the sky during 
Winter’s slumber. And the weary old Monarch 
dreamed pleasantly of his youth and his manhood, 
and at day dawn all the woods stood gemmed with 
glittering hoar frost ; this was Winter’s dream of 
Summer. But the sun soon kissed the hoar frost 
from the branches. 

“ When is Spring coming ? I wish it were Spring ! ” 
quoth the Sparrows. 

“ Spring ! ” it re-echoed from the snow-covered 
banks. And the sun shone warmer and warmer, 
the snow melted, the birds carolled, “Spring is 
coming ! ” 

And high through the air flew the earliest stork, 


422 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


the second following ; on the back of each rode a 
lovely child. And the children sprang down on the 
open field, and they kissed the earth, and they kissed 
the still old man, and he vanished, borne away in 
mists. 


“EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE!” 


’Tis more than a hundred years since. 

Near the large lake behind the wood stood an old 
baronial Hall, deep moats, half choked up with reeds 
and rushes, surrounding it. Close by the bridge 
leading over the moat to the carriage entry stood a 
venerable willow-tree, bending protectingly over the 
reeds. 

The merry noise of horns and hoof tramps came 
nearer and nearer from the high-road beyond, and 
the little goose girl hurried her geese on one side to 
make room for the hunting party ; on they galloped, 
and the girl had to jump up on one of the high stones 
of the bridge, to escape being run over. She was 
scarcely more than a child, slight and delicate as a 
fairy, with the sweetest expression in her face, and 
such sparkling hazel eyes ! But the hunters took no 
note either of her graceful form or her bright eyes ; 
on they galloped, and one of them, the Lord of the 
Hall, as he passed, in pure wantonness striking her 
on the breast with the handle of his whip, pushed 
her over the bridge. 


423 


424 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


“Everything in its place !” cried lie, “ so down 
with thee into the mud ! ” and he laughed at his own 
stupid jest, and his comrades all laughed in chorus. 
And with their loud laugh and the yet louder bark 
of the hounds, the whole party swept past. 

The poor little goose girl, as she fell, had seized 
hold of one of the overhanging willow boughs ; 
clinging by it she held herself above the slough of 
the moat, and as soon as hunters, horses, hounds, and 
horns were safe within the Hall gates, she laboured 
to clamber up on the bridge again. But the willow 
bough she held broke off from the trunk, and she was 
on the point of falling heavily among reeds when a 
strong hand from above seized and saved her. A 
wandering hosier had been witness to the little scene, 
and hurried up to help the poor girl. 

“ Everything in its place ! ” repeated he, laughing, 
as he lifted her up and set her upon terra firm a ; 
and he tried to set the cracked willow bough straight 
again, but he could not succeed. It stubbornly re- 
fused to return to “ its right place,” so he stuck it into 
the soft earth, saying, “ Grow there if thou canst, 
and supply the folks at the hall with a flute, if they 
mend their manners ; with a cane, if they don’t ! ” 
And, gathering up his chattels, the pedlar passed on 
through the gates, to display them in the servants’ 
hall. Meantime, uproarious tumult reigned in the 


“EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE!” 


42 5 


banqueting room, unseemly songs, coarse jests, and 
rude laughter mingling with the many-toned bark of 
dogs, for the hounds had been called in to share the 
day’s sport to the end ; wine and ale foamed in 
pitcher and glass, and the dogs were made to drink 
with their masters. The pedlar was soon summoned 
to bring in his pack, but only as a jest ; the wine was 
in and the sense was out ; ale was poured into a 
stocking, and he was bidden to swallow it down 
quickly. But in another moment the humour of the 
party took another turn; whole herds of cattle, broad 
lands and peasants’ cottages, were set upon one card, 
were lost and won. 

“ Everything in its place ! ” repeated the pedlar, 
when he was safe out of Sodom and Gomorrah, as he 
called the banquet room. “The open road, the King's 
highway, that is my proper place; in that Hall I am 
quite out of my element.” And the little goose girl, 
standing behind a stile, nodded to him a grateful 
farewell. 

Days and weeks passed away, and the broken 
willow bough that the pedlar had stuck into the soft 
mould of the moat was still fresh and green, and even 
thrust out new shoots ; the little goose girl saw that 
it must have taken root, and she quite rejoiced over 
it; it was her tree, she thought. But while the 
willow sprig throve so well, at the Hall everything 


426 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


throve ill. Drinking and gambling, these were the 
two notes on which the Lord of the Hall rang the 
changes, and six years had not fully passed away 
when he wandered with scrip and staff, a ruined man, 
banished the home of his fathers; and that home was 
purchased by a hosier, the very same who had been 
made a laughing-stock in his banquet room, and made 
to drink ale out of a stocking. Thrift and honesty, 
that had been his rule of life ; and now the pedlar 
was Lord of the Hall, and from that hour a card was 
never seen in it. “ Paper was meant for something 
better,” he was wont to say, “but when the Evil One 
first saw God’s Book, he determined he would have 
his Bible too, and so he invented cards.” 

The new Lord of the Hall hastened to take to him- 
self a wife, and who should she be but the little 
goose girl, then grown up into a good, pious, and 
modest maiden ! Her gentle nature stood her in 
stead of gentle blood, and in her new attire she moved 
as refined, courteous, and noble as any high-born lady 
in the land. And now came happy and peaceful 
times for the Old Hall, the lady ruling all within, 
and her husband all without, and blessing seemed to 
rest on all their labours. The moats were drained, 
and fruit trees planted in their place ; the rooms 
were all kept clean, the floors bright as a mirror, and 
in the state saloon sate Madam, with her daughters 


“EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE! 


427 


and her maidens, the long winter evenings through, 
spinning wool and flax. And every Sunday evening 
the Bible was read aloud to the whole assembled house- 
hold, read by the Councillor himself, for a Councillor 
was the pedlar in his old age. And children grew up 
around him, and children’s children, and all were well 
brought up, though not all were gifted with an equal 
portion of sense, — that could not be expected in any 
family. 

And all this time the willow bough without 
had grown, and spread, and flourished, a large, mag- 
nificent tree. “ It is our genealogical tree,” the old 
folks were wont to say ; and they bade their children 
hold it in all honour, and especially they impressed 
this upon those among them who, as aforesaid, were 
not over-burdened with brains. 

And now the hundred years are gone and past, 
our own generation has succeeded. The lake has 
become a marsh, an oblong strip of water encased in 
stone is all that remains of the moat, and over it a 
splendid old tree droops its branches, a willow-tree. 
It stands there as though to prove how beautiful a 
willow-tree may be, if it is but left alone and suffered 
to grow in its own way. Storms have at times 
handled it roughly, the trunk is cleft asunder from 
the crown almost to the root, and grass and flowers 
grow in all the crevices, especially near the crown, 


428 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


where the great boughs are parted ; wind and 
weather have conveyed mould enough to supply a 
perfect little hanging garden, chickweed, raspberries, 
nay, even a tiny little service shrub has taken root 
there, and, slender and delicate, grows embedded in 
the old willow-tree, reflecting itself in the black 
water whenever the wind drives the duckweed aside 
into a corner of the stream. A little footpath leads 
past the tree over the fields. 

And high on the bank near the wood, commanding 
a charming prospect, stands the New Hall : the old 
one has been razed to the ground, wiped out of the 
landscape, as it were. The New Hall is large and 
splendid, the broad steps leading up to the door look 
like a bower of roses and large-leaved plants ; the 
window-panes are marvellously bright, and the lawn 
on which they open is as smoothly green as though 
it were swept morning and evening. The saloons 
within are rich with costly paintings, and with chairs 
and couches of splendid velvet and silk, and so clev- 
erly constructed that they can almost walk on their 
own legs : there are tables with marble slabs, books 
bound in morocco with gilt edges. For rich people 
dwell here now, and grand people too, with the title 
of Baron ! 

“ Everything in its place ! ” is still the family 
motto, and accordingly the pictures that had once 


“EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE 


429 


hung in all glory and honour on the walls of the Old 
Hall have been banished to the gallery leading to 
the servants’ room. Among the “old rubbish,” as 
they were called, were two quaint old portraits, one 
of a grave-looking man wearing a wig and a crimson 
coat, the other of a lady fair, her hair powdered and 
combed back after the antique fashion, and holding 
a red rose in her hand. Both pictures were encircled 
with a wreath of willow boughs ; they are portraits 
of the old Councillor and his wife, from whom the 
present occupants of the Hall claim descent. The 
pictures are in tolerable preservation, except that 
they are pierced with small round holes innumerable, 
the juvenile Barons having used them as targets 
when they were trying their skill with the cross-bow. 

“ But they are not really of our family,” remarked 
one of the young Barons. “ He was a pedlar and 
she was a goose girl. They were not like our papa 
and mamma ! ” 

“ Mere rubbish” were these old pictures ! “Every- 
thing in its place ! ” so the great grandparents were 
sent to the servants’ gallery. 

The little Barons have a tutor; he is a clergy- 
man’s son, and lives at the Hall. One day the tutor, 
his pupils, and their eldest sister, who had lately 
been confirmed, went out for a walk ; they took the 
path leading past the old willow-tree, and as they 


430 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


went the young girl made herself a bouquet of 
wildflowers and green sprays. “ Everything in its 
place ! ” and out among the green fields, in the fresh 
morning air, these children of Danish soil looked as 
fair as any bouquet of rich-hued exotics. But while 
her fingers were busy, her ears were open to hear 
every word the tutor was saying ; it pleased her 
right well to hear him speak of the beauty of Nature, 
and of that beauty more excellent than Nature’s, 
moral beauty, — to hear him tell of the gallant deeds 
and heroic lives of the great men and noble women 
of history. For hers was a thoroughly happy and 
healthful mind ; noble and elevated thoughts were 
natural to her, and she had a heart large enough to 
embrace and love all that God has created. 

The party stopped at the old willow-tree ; the 
youngest of the young Barons wanted to have a 
flute cut for him out of it ; his tutor broke off a 
bough for the purpose. 

“ Oh, don’t do it, pray ! ” cried the young Baroness, 
but her protest came too late, it was done. “ Oh, 
you should not touch our famous old tree, I love it 
so much ! they all laugh at me at home about it, but 
1 don’t care for that. There is a legend about this 
tree — ” 

And she went on to relate what we have heard 
already about the Old Hall, the goose girl and the 


“EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE!” 


431 


pedlar who met there for the first time, the ancestors 
of the family at the New Hall, and of the young 
Baroness herself. 

“ They would not be ennobled, those good, hon- 
est old folks,” added she. “ They were fond of the 
proverb, 1 Everything in its place ! ’ and they never 
would buy themselves a title to higher rank than 
they could claim by birth. It was their son, my 
grandfather, who was made a Baron ; he was a very 
learned man, was much respected and beloved by 
Princes and Princesses, and used to go to all their 
grand festivities. He was his parents’ favourite, 
too ; I don’t know why, but I do love those old folks 
so much. I always think there must have been 
something so liome-like, so patriarchal, about that 
Old Hall, with the mistress of the house sitting spin- 
ning among her maidens, and the old Councillor 
reading the Bible aloud.” 

“Yes, they were excellent people, right-minded 
people ! ” replied the tutor ; and he forthwith fell 
into a discourse upon the difference between the 
aristocracy and the burgher families ; no one who 
heard his enthusiasm for the old nobility could have 
imagined that he himself was plebeian born. 

u It is glorious to belong to a race that has made 
itself illustrious ! glorious to know that the blood 
that flows in one’s own veins is the same that has 


432 


ANDERSENS FAIRY TALES 


glowed like living fire in the good cause of old ! 
glorious to claim as one’s own rightful heritage a 
name that is, as it were, a passport everywhere. So 
long as the nobles are noble, who shall deny them 
honour and precedence ? I know that the fashion of the 
time is to decry respect for our old nobility as a stu- 
pid, worn-out prejudice, and to assume that the lower 
we descend into the mud of poverty and obscurity, 
the brighter will be the gems of true goodness to be 
found glistening among the rubbish. But that is not 
my way of thinking, for it is perfectly mad, utterly 
false. Many examples of true nobility of soul may 
be found among the nobly born; I could cite several, 
but I will instance only one, which I learnt from my 
mother. She was staying at a great house, my 
grandmother had been nurse, or some such thing, to 
its mistress. My mother was in the parlour with the 
old lord when he noticed a poor old woman hobbling, 
upon crutches, into the courtyard : she used to come 
once every week for a small pension. 4 Poor thing! ’said 
he, ‘it is too bad for her to have to walk up here,’ and 
almost as he spoke he was out of the door and down 
the steps — he, the old lord, nearly eighty years of 
age, himself hurried down to the poor woman, to spare 
her the labour of walking upstairs to fetch her money. 
This may seem a trivial anecdote enough, but, trivial 
as it is, it reveals a truly kindly and noble character. 


“ EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE!” 


433 


Honour to all such! honour to the courtesy and 
gentleness that smooth down the harsh barriers be- 
tween rank and rank, that acknowledge the same 
human nature everywhere, whether it be clothed in 
woollen, or in purple and fine linen ! But as for 
those gentry who prate of their 4 blood,’ and pride 
themselves on their pedigrees, with less of right and of 
reason than high-mettled Arab steeds, and who arch 
their necks and eyebrows in scorn at the rest of the 
world, — such as these disgrace the nobility* they are 
too often supposed to represent. They have, of their 
own accord, put on the ridiculous mask given them by 
Thespis, and are rightly handed over to the satirist.” 

Such was the tutor’s oration ; it was rather too 
long for the occasion, but then he was busy making 
the flute the while. 

There was a large party at the Hall that evening. 
The grand saloon was crowded with guests, some 
from the neighbourhood, some from the capital, a 
bevy of ladies richly dressed, with and without taste, 
a group of the clergy from the adjoining parishes 
standing in a corner together, as grave as though 
met for a funeral. A funeral party it certainly was 
not ; it was meant for a party of pleasure, but the 
pleasure was yet to come. Music and song went on, 
first one of the party volunteering, then another ; 
but it was mostly music of that sort which is more 


434 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


delightful to the performer than to the audience. 
The little Baron brought out his flute, but neither 
he nor his papa, who tried it after him, could make 
anything of it ; it was pronounced a perfect failure. 

“ But you are a performer too, surely,” quoth a 
witty fine gentleman, addressing the tutor ; “ you 
are, of course, a flute player as well as a flute maker. 
You are a universal genius, I hear, and genius is 
quite the rage nowada}^ — nothing like genius. 
Come now, I am sure you will be so good as to 
entrance us by playing on this little instrument.” 
And he handed it over, announcing in a loud voice 
that the tutor was going to favour the company with 
a solo on the flute. 

It was easy to see that these people wanted to 
make game of him, and he refused to play ; but they 
pressed him so long and so urgently that at last, 
in very weariness, he took the flute and raised it to 
his lips. 

It was a strange flute ! A sound issued from it, 
loud, shrill, and vibrating as that sent forth by a 
steam engine, nay, louder far ; it thrilled right 
through the house, through garden and woodland, 
miles out into the country, and with the sound came 
also a strong, rushing wind, its stormy breath clearly 
uttering the words, “ Everything in its place ! ” 

Forthwith the Baron, the master of the Hall, 


“ EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE!” 


435 


caught up by the storm wind, flew out at the win- 
dow, and was shut up in the porter’s lodge in a trice; 
and the porter himself was borne up, not into the 
drawing-room, no, for that he was not fit, but into 
the servants’ hall, where the proud, finical flunkeys, 
in their silk stockings, shook with horror to see such 
a low person sit down at table with them. 

But, in the grand saloon, the young Baroness was 
wafted up to the seat of honour, where she was right 
worthy to sit, — and the tutor’s place was beside her. 
There they sat together, for all the world like bride 
and bridegroom. An old Count, descended from 
one of the noblest houses in the land, retained his 
seat, not so much as a breath of air disturbing him. 
For the flute was strictly just. And the witty young 
gentleman who had been the occasion of all this 
tumult was whirled out head foremost to join geese 
and gander in the poultry yard. 

Half a mile out in the country, the flute wrought 
wonders. The family of a rich merchant, who drove 
with four horses, were all precipitated from the 
carriage window, and two farmers, who had of late 
grown too wealthy to know their nearest relations, 
were puffed into a ditch. It was a dangerous flute. 
Lucky that at the first sound it uttered it cracked 
in twain, and was then put safely by in the tutor’s 
pocket. “ Everything in its place ! ” 


436 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


Next day no more was said about the adventure 
than if it had never happened. The affair was 
hushed up, and all things were in the same order as 
before, save that the two old portraits of the pedlar 
and the goose girl continued to hang on the wall of 
the saloon, whither the storm wind had blown them. 
Here some connoisseur chanced to see them, and, as 
he pronounced them to be painted by a master hand, 
they were cleaned and restored, and ever after held 
in honour. Their value bad not been known before. 

“Everything in its place !” so shall it be all in 
good time, never fear ! — not in this world, though, 
that would be expecting rather too much. 


THE NISSE 0 AT THE GROCER’S 


There was once a Student — a proper Student ; 
he lived in an attic, and possessed just nothing at all. 
There was also a Grocer — a proper Grocer; he lived 
in a comfortable room, and possessed the whole 
house. So the Nisse clung to the Grocer, for the 
Grocer could give him, every Christmas eve, a bowl 
of gruel, with such a great lump of butter in it ! 
The Student could not afford him that ; so the Nisse 
dwelt in the shop, and was right comfortable there. 

One evening the Student came by the back door 
into the shop to buy candles and cheese ; he had no 
servant to fetch these things for him. They gave 
him what he wanted, he paid the money, and the 
Grocer, and Madam, his wife — she was a woman ! 
she had uncommon gifts of speech ! — both nodded 
“ Good evening ” to him. The Student nodded in 
return, and was turning away, when his ej^e fell upon 
something that was printed on the paper in which his 
chees.e was wrapped, and he stood still to read it.. It 
was a leaf torn out of an old book, a book that ought 
never to have been torn up, a book full of rare old 
poetry. 


437 


438 


ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 


“ Plenty more, if you like it,” quoth the Grocer ; 
“ I gave an old woman some coffee beans for it ; you 
shall have the whole for eightpence.” 

“ Thank you,” said the Student, “ let me have it 
instead of the cheese ; I can very well sup off bread 
and butter, and it would be a sin and a shame for 
such a book as this to be torn up into scraps. You 
are an excellent man, a practical man, but as for 
poetry, you have no more taste for it than that tub ! ” 
Now this speech sounded somewhat rude, but 
it was spoken in jest, the Student laughed, and the 
Grocer laughed too. But the Nisse felt extremely 
vexed that such a speech should be made to a Grocer 
who was a householder and sold the best butter. 

So when night was come, the shop shut up, and all, 
except the Student, were gone to bed, the Nisse stole 
away Madam’s tongue, — she did not want it while 
she slept. And now whatever object he put it upon 
not only received forthwith the faculty of speech, 
but was able to express its thoughts and feelings to 
the full as well as Madam herself. Fortunately the 
tongue could be in only one place at a time, other- 
wise there would have been a rare tumult and talka- 
tion in the shop, all speaking at once. 

And the Nisse put the tongue on the tub wherein 
all the old newspapers lay. “ Is it really true,” he 
asked, “that you do not know what poetry is ? ” 


THE NISSE AT THE GROCER'S 


439 


“ Don’t I know ! ” replied the Tub ; 44 it is some- 
thing that is put into the newspapers to till them up. 
I should think I have more of it in me than the 
Student has, though I am only a Tub at the 
Grocer’s ! ” 

And the Nisse put the tongue on the coffee mill, 
— oh, how bravely it worked then ! — and he put it 
on the money box and on sundry other articles, and 
he asked them all the same question, and all gave 
much the same answer ; all were of the same opinion, 
and the opinion of the multitude must be respected. 

44 Now for the Student!” and the Nisse glided 
very softly up the back-stairs leading to the Student’s 
attic. There was light within, and the Nisse peeped 
through the key-hole to see what the Student was 
about. He was reading in his new-found treasure, 
the torn old book. But oh, how glorious ! A bright 
sunbeam, as it were, shot out from the book, expand- 
ing itself into a mighty, broad-stemmed tree, which 
raised itself on high and spread its branches over the 
Student. Every leaf on the tree was fresh and 
green, every flower was like a graceful, girlish head, 
the faces of some lit up with eyes dark, thrilling, 
and passionate, and others animated by serene blue 
orbs, gentle as an angel’s. And every fruit was like 
a glittering star, and such delicious melody was 
wafted around ! 


440 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


No, such glory and beauty as this never could the 
little Nisse have imagined. And, mounted on tip- 
toe, he stood peeping and peeping, till at last the 
bright light within died away, till the Student blew 
out his lamp and went to bed. Nor even then could 
the little Nisse tear himself away, for soft, sweet 
music still floated around, lulling the Student to rest. 

“ This is beyond compare ! ” exclaimed the little 
Nisse ; “this could I never have anticipated ! I be- 
lieve I will stay with the Student henceforth.” But 
he paused, and reflected, and reasoned coolly with 
himself, and then he sighed, “ The Student has no 
gruel to give me.” So down he went; yes, back he 
went to the Grocer’s ; and it was well that he did, 
for the Tub had, meantime, nearly worn out Madam’s 
tongue, by giving out through one ring all that was 
rumbling within it, arid was just on the point of 
turning in order to give out the same through the 
other ring when the Nisse came and took the tongue 
back to Madam. But from that time everything in 
the shop was always of the same opinion as the Tub, 
and all trusted it implicitly, and respected it to such 
a degree that when of an evening the Grocer read 
his newspaper aloud, the whole shop invariably be- 
lieved it was the Tub holding forth. 

But the little Nisse was no longer content to stay 
quietly in the shop, listening to all the wit and wis- 


THE NISSE AT THE GROCER’S 


441 


dom to be gathered there. No, as soon as ever the 
lamp gleamed from the attic chamber he was gone ; 
that slight thread of lamplight issuing from under 
the Student’s door acted upon him as it were a strong 
anchor rope drawing him upward ; he must away to 
peep through the key-hole. And then he felt a 
tumult of pleasure within him, a feeling such as we 
all have known while gazing on the glorious sea 
when the Angel of the Storm is passing over it ; and 
then he would burst out weeping, he knew not why, 
but they were happy, blessed tears. Oh, delightful 
beyond conception would it have been to sit with the 
Student under the tree ! but that would be too much 
happiness ; content was he and right glad of the 
key-hole. And there he would stand for hours in 
the draughty passage, with the bleak autumn wind 
blowing down from the trap door in the roof full 
upon him ; but the enthusiastic little spirit never 
heeded the cold, nor, indeed, felt it at all until the 
light in the attic had been extinguished, and the 
sweet music had died away in the mournful night 
wind. Ugh ! then he did shake and shiver, and 
crept back into his comfortable warm corner. And 
when Christmas eve came, and the great lump of 
butter in his gruel — ah! then he felt that the 
Grocer was his master, after all ! 

But one midnight the Nisse was awaked by a ter- 


442 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES 


rible rat-tat upon the window shutters ; a crowd of 
people outside were shouting with all their might 
and main ; the watchman was sounding his alarum ; 
the whole street was lit up with a blaze of flame. 
Fire ! where was it ? at the Grocer’s, or next door ? 
The tumult was beyond description. Madam, in her 
bewilderment, took her gold ear rings off her ears 
and pat them in her pocket, by way of saving some- 
thing ; the Grocer was in a state of excitement about 
his bonds, the maid wild for her silk mantilla. 
Every one would fain rescue whatsoever he deemed 
most precious ; so would the little Nisse. In two 
bounds he was upstairs, in the attic. The Student 
was standing at the open window, calmly admiring 
the fire, which was in the neighbour’s house, not 
theirs ; the marvellous book lay on the table, the 
little Nisse seized it, put it into his red cap, and held 
it aloft with both hands ; the most precious thing 
the house possessed was saved ! Away he darted 
with it, sprang upon the roof, and in a second was 
seated on the chimney pot, the glorious raging flames 
like a halo around him, both hands grasping firmly 
the little red cap wherein lay his treasure. And 
now he knew where his heart was, felt that the 
Student was really his master ; but when the fire 
was extinguished, and he recovered his senses, — 
what then ? “I will divide my allegiance between 


THE NISSE AT THE GROCER'S 


443 


them,” quoth he ; “ I cannot quite give up the 

Grocer, because of my bowl of gruel.” 

Now this was really quite human, though it was 
a spirit who said it. Don’t we all of us cleave to 
the Grocer, — for the love of his butter and his 
grits ? 



NOTES 


Page 98. “ Ach ! du lieber Augustin, 

Alles ist weg, weg, w eg ! ” 

“ Ah ! dear Augustin, 

All is lost, lost, lost ! ” 

P. 208. April 2, 1801, was the day on which a great naval battle 
was fought between the Danes and English, under Sir Hyde Parker 
and Lord Nelson. 

P. 269. Baccalaureus Scripturse Sacrse. — B.S.S., Bachelor of 
Sacred Scripture, a degree conferred upon a divinity student. 

P. 208. Bille (bil'll), Steen Andersen. — Born 1751, died 1883. 
A Danish admiral and minister of state distinguished in an attack 
on Tripoli in 1798, and in the battle of Copenhagen in 1807. 

P. 265. Bornholm (Born'holm). — An island of Denmark east 
of the mainland. 

P. 207. Canute (Kanute'). — Born 994, died 1035. King of 
England, Denmark, and Norway, son of Sweyn, king of Denmark. 
Father and son invaded England in 1013. Canute succeeded his 
father as king of the invaded country ; was driven out, but returned 
with a large force in 1016 and besieged London. The English under 
Edmund were defeated, and Canute and Edmund became joint 
rulers. Upon the death of Edmund, soon after, he became sole 
ruler, and married Emma, the widow of Ethelred. His early career 
was marked by great barbarity • but after the complete subjugation 
of England, his reign was that of a statesman and a patriot. 

445 


446 


NOTES 


P. 207. Christian IV, King of Denmark and Norway, 1586-1648. 
He made successful war against Sweden, 1611-1613, hut in a later 
war with that country was defeated. He took part in the Thirty 
Years’ War, but his efforts were not successful. He did much, 
however, for the commercial and domestic industries of his king- 
dom, and was greatly beloved by his people. 

P. 265. Christianshaven. — The southeastern section of Copen- 
hagen, situated on the island of Amger. 

P. 147. Claus. — A contraction of Nicholas. 

P. 208. Coat-of-arms. — The Danish coat-of-arms consisted of 
three lions between nine hearts. 

P. 216. Cockchafer. — A kind of beetle. 

P. 260. Copenhagen (Ko pen ha/gen). Capital of Denmark. 
The word means “Merchants’ haven.” 

P. 260. Corso (Cor'so). — One of the principal and most beauti- 
ful streets of Rome. 

P. 289. Dalai Lama of Thibet. — One of the two popes of Thibet. 

P. 207. Egede (Aga'da), Hans. — Born 1686, died 1789. A 
missionary to the Eskimo, who lived in Greenland, fifteen years, 
living a life of great hardship, doing much for the spread of 
Christianity. 

P. 207. Eleanora Ulfeld (Ul'feld). — The daughter of Christian 
IV, and wife of Corfitz Ulfeld who was accused of high treason. 
For loyalty to her husband she was compelled to spend twenty- 
two years in a dungeon, and was released only upon the death 
of her persecutor, Queen Amalie. 

P. 1. Elise (A lees'). 

P. 204. Elsinore (El'sm or0 ; Danish, Hgl'sm ger). — A seaport 
on the island of Zealand, Denmark, on the narrowest part of the 
Sound. It is a commercial town, and contains the old fortress of 
Kronborg. Elsinore is connected with the story of Hamlet. 

P. 266. Fata Morgana (Fa'ta Mdrga'na). — The name of the 
powerful fairy, or enchantress, celebrated in the tales of chivalry 
and the romantic poems of Italy. She was the pupil of Merlin and 


NOTES 


447 


sister of Arthur. In common use the term means an illusion or 
distorted vision. 

P. 305. Flaminius. — A Roman consul. He was defeated by 
Hannibal at Lake Thrasymenus. 

P. 208. Frederick VI. — King of Denmark and Norway. Born 
1768, died 1839. He refused to join the coalition against Napoleon 
in 1813, and was punished by the allied powers with the loss of 
Norway. 

On a journey to the west coast of Jutland, the king visited an 
old woman. When he left the house, the old woman ran after 
him, begging him to return and write his name upon a beam of 
the house as a remembrance. To this appeal he assented. All 
his life he felt and worked for the peasant class. Upon his 
death the Danish peasants begged the privilege of carrying his 
coffin to the royal vault at Roeskilde, four miles from Copenhagen. 

P. 305. Hannibal. — A great general, born in Carthage. He 
subjugated Spain, and crossed the Alps to fight the Romans. 
He defeated the Roman army once under Scipio, and again under 
Flaminius, near Lake Thrasymenus. This last battle was most 
disastrous to the Romans. 

P. 270. Heiberg, Johann Ludwig (HI'berg, Yo'han Lud'vig). — 
Born 1791, died 1860. A Danish dramatist and poet. 

P. 298. Fredericksberg. — A district of Copenhagen. 

P. 270. Gehmen (Ga/men), Godfrey von. — He set up the first 
printing-press at Copenhagen, in 1490. 

P. 104. Hialmar (Hyal'mer). 

P. 204. Holger (Hol'ger) the Dane. — The guardian hero of 
Denmark, like Tell of Switzerland and Arthur of England. 
According to popular tradition he sleeps beneath the old fortress 
of Kronborg at Elsinore, ready to arise and lead the people to 
victory when Denmark is in danger. In the Arthur legends 
Holger is Ogier le Danois, beloved of Morgan le Fay ; and, 
according to legend, she holds him entranced in Avalon, in com- 
pany with her brother, King Arthur, and many other poble knights. 


448 


NOTES 


P. 267. Holstein (Hol'stin). — One of the provinces of Prussia. 
It was a part of Denmark from 1806 to 1864. 

P. 167. Hindoo wives were formerly burned with the bodies of 
their dead husbands. The English put a stop to this practice. 

P. 270. Iwain and Gawain. — Two noble knights celebrated in 
the Arthur legends. See Malory’s Morte d' Arthur. The jest 
here mentioned is as follows : King Hans of Denmark, after 
reading the romance of King Arthur, said laughingly to his 
favorite; Otto Rudd, “ Sir Iwain and Sir Gawain were indeed 
gallant knights. Such men are not to be found at this day.” 
Whereupon Otto Rudd replied, “ If there were still such warriors 
as King Arthur, there would also be found many such knights as 
Sir Iwain and Sir Gawain.” 

P. 269. Judicium (Ju di '51 um). — Judgment. 

P. 269. Jutland ( Jutland) . — The peninsula on which Denmark 
is situated. 

Pp. 204, 211. Kronborg (Kron'bOrg). — The old fortress at 
Elsinore, Denmark. 

P. 269. Locus docendi (lo'cus d5 (jen'di). — A place of learning. 

P. 278. Madler, Johann Heinrich von (Mad'ler, Yo'han Hin'- 
rik fun). — Born 1794, died 1874. A German astronomer. 

P. 311. Mandarin (man da rin'). — A civil or military officer in 
China. 

P. 207. Margaret. — Born 1385, died 1412. Daughter of Walde- 
mar IY. Queen of Denmark, 1387, Sweden, 1388. She resigned 
the throne of Sweden in 1397. 

P; 306. Marryat (Mar'ry at), Florence. — Born 1837, died 1899. 
An English novelist and dramatist. 

P. 347. Mazurka (ma zur^ka). — A waltz. 

P. 291. Metamorphoses (met a nidr'fS sez), plural of meta- 
morphosis. — Changes in form or function of a living creature. 

P. 269. Mihi secus videtur (ml'hl se'eus vi de'tur). — It seems 
otherwise to me. 

P. 269. Modestia (mo des' ti a). — Modesty. 


NOTES 


449 


P. 269. Monsieur (mo seer'). — A French term meaning the 
same as the English “Mr.” 

P. 272. Muscovite (Mus'ko vite). — Russian. 

Pp. 211, 437. Nisse (Nis'i). — A member of the Dwarf or Troll 
family, but domestic. There is usually a Nisse in every farmyard. 
They are as small as infants, but have the faces of old men. They 
wear gray dresses and pointed red caps. Sometimes they are good 
and serviceable, sometimes mischievous, and seldom to be relied 
upon. 

P. 298. Nyboder (Ni'bS der). — One of the districts of Copen- 
hagen. 

P. 261. Oersted (Er'sted). — Anders San'doe. — Born 1778, died 
1860. A noted Danish statesman, jurist, and author. 

P. 65. Polypi. — Plural of polypus, also called polyp. A polyp 
is a sea animal of the coral family. 

P. 340. Rix-dollar. — A Danish coin, valued at about fifty-seven 
cents in U. S. money. 

P. 270. Round Table. — The famous table in the palace at 
Camelot, the favorite palace of King Arthur, around which he met 
with his knights. It was made by the enchanter, Merlin. 

P. 133. Round Tower. — The cylindrical tower of the Copen- 
hagen observatory, containing the great telescope. 

P. 267. Roeskilde (Res kil'da). — A town on the island of Zea- 
land, tw r enty miles west of Copenhagen. 

P. 289. Rosenborg. — A castle in Copenhagen containing the 
crown, sceptre, and other royal regalia, and many precious jewels. 
Rosenborg castle means “the castle of roses.” 

P. 191. Stockfish. — Salted and dried fish, cod, hake, ling and 
torac, forming one of the staple food products of Denmark, Sweden, 
and Norway. 

P. 305. Thrasymene, Lake Thrasymenus (Thra sy me'nus). 

P. 210. Thorwaldsen (T6r vald'zen) , Albert Bertel. — Born 
1770, died 1844. Denmark’s greatest sculptor. Thorwaldsen and 
Andersen were friends. 

2 Q 


450 


NOTES 


P. 260. Toledo (To le'do). — A famous street in Naples ; called 
also Via di Roma. 

P. 359. Troll. — According to the folk-lore of the North, all the 
spirits that once ruled the earth are now assigned to different 
abodes where they must remain until the end of the world. They 
have more than human powers, are unhappy, and long for release. 
The Trolls or Dwarfs live in the mountains. They are short and 
misshapen ; are usually good natured, but thievish. They some- 
times carry away human infants, leaving their own sickly and mis- 
shapen children instead. Living underground, they have stores of 
gold, silver, and precious stones. They dislike noise, especially 
the sound of church bells. 

Elves live in groves and leafy trees ; Hill people in little hillocks 
or caves ; Merfolk and Necks in seas, lakes, and rivers ; and 
Stromkarls in waterfalls. 

P.210. Tycho Brahe (Tl'ko Bra/a). — Born 1546, died 1601. 
A famous Danish astronomer. 

P. 207. Vends. — Russians. 

P. 207. Waldemar (Val'damar) I, the Great, king of Den- 
mark, 1157-1182. 

P. 264. Zealand (zg'land). — An island of Denmark, east of the 
mainland. Also, a bishopric of 'the same country, comprising the 
islands of Zealand, Moen, Samso, and Bornholm. 


INDEX TO NOTES 


u Ach ! du lieber Augustin,” 98. 
April 2d, 208. 

Baccalaureus, 269. 

Bille, Steen Andersen, 208. 
Bornholm, 265. 

Canute, 207. 

Christian IV, 207. 
Christianshaven, 265. 

Claus, 232. 

Coat-of-arms, 208. 

Cockchafer, 216. 

Copenhagen, 260. 

Corso, 260. 

Dalai Lama of Thibet, 289. 

Egede, Hans, 207. 

Eleanora Ulfeld, 207. 

Elise, 1. 

Elsinore, 204. 

Fata Morgana, 15, 266. 
Elaminius, 305. 

Frederick VI, 208. 
Fredericksberg, 298. 


Gehmen, Godfrey von, 270. 
Hannibal, 305. 

Heiberg, Johann Ludwig, 270, 
Hialmar, 104. 

Hindoo, 167. 

Holger the Dane, 204. 
Holstein, 267. 

Hvitfeld, 207. 

Iwain and Gawain, 270. 

Judicium, 269. 

Jutland, 269. 

Kronborg, 204, 211. 

Locus docendi, 269. 

Madler, Dr., 278. 

Mandarin, 311. 

Margaret, Queen, 207. 
Marryat, 306. 

Mazurka, 347. 
Metamorphoses, 291. 

Mihi secus, etc., 269. 
Modestia, 269. 


452 INDEX TO NOTES 


Monsieur, 269. 
Muscovite, 272. 

Nisse, 211, 437. 
Nyboder, 298. 

Oersted, 261. 

Polypi, 65. 

Rix-dollar, 340. 
Roeskilde, 267. 
Rosenborg, 289. 
Round Table, 270. 
Round Tower, 210, 


Stockfish, 191. 

Thorwaldsen, 210. 
Thrasymene, 305. 
Toledo, 260. 

Troll, 359. 

Tycho Brahe, 210, 

Vends, 207. 

Waldemar, 207. 

Zealand, 264. 


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